You might be surprised to learn that workplace competition – the friendly type – is a great way to help teammates bond with each other. And when the incentives are appealing enough, employees will be motivated to get involved in these competitions.
Why is team building so important for the success of your organization?
- More than 80% of employers and employees believe that creating a sense of community at work is important. (1)
- Feelings of employee isolation reduce productivity up to 21%. (2)
- Socializing between team members improves communication patterns by more than 50%. (3)
Participating in competitions offers benefits that other team-building activities do not due to the nature of this particular activity.
THE BENEFITS OF FRIENDLY COMPETITION
How does competing against coworkers help teammates forge bonds between teammates?
Employee Engagement Increases
Competing to earn incentives increases employee engagement in a couple of different ways. First, it gets them involved in a work-related activity, which makes their company a more significant part of their life (in a positive way). Second, whether they are teamed up with coworkers or competing solo, employees feel a stronger connection to their colleagues. This happens because everyone is working towards a common goal. The goal remains the same, even though it is a competition.
| Common Goal
An objective shared by individuals, teams, and management within a company/organization such as:
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Forming Teams Reminds Workers That They Are in It Together
Competing can be a team effort or a solo one. When employees team up in a workplace competition, they are motivated to reach success together. The effort reminds teammates that they do not have to go it alone and that they set themselves up for success by working together with each employee, leveraging their own unique skill set, knowledge, and strengths.
Communication Skills Improve
Effective workplace communication is a skill that most people need to learn or, at the very least, refine. The more clearly people can communicate with their co-workers, the more positive their interactions are. Why? Poor communication results in misunderstandings if the recipient takes the exchange to be negative in tone. On the other hand, clear communication facilitates not only a more productive team but also one that works harmoniously together. By participating in competitions, teammates develop better communication skills across the board.
Employees Learn to Collaborate With Each Other
Not all roles in a company require working with others on a regular basis. Employees who are in these roles might be isolated, left out, lonely, or all of the above. Competing for incentives gives these workers an opportunity to interact with their colleagues. It also helps employees who commonly work in groups witness how their teammates’ strengths and expertise complement what they themselves bring to the table. It demonstrates the value of joining forces, whether that means for a competition or a group project for work.
Workers Feel Motivated to Perform at Their Best
Watching colleagues excel in a competition inspires their co-workers to perform at their personal best. It ignites a spark of healthy competition that motivates employees to improve the results they achieve – during the competition and in their daily work.
WORKPLACE COMPETITION IDEAS TO TRY
The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to ideas for workplace competitions. That said, the activities you choose must be effective at propelling employees to participate actively in them. Examples of ideas that have strong potential in this area include:
- Talent show – Allow each employee to choose their own talent. Then, invite workers to participate in a talent show and award first, second, and third place prizes. Letting non-competing employees vote for the winners is a fantastic way to engage these workers.
- Decoration contest – Holidays are a perfect excuse to hold a decorating contest. Whether it means each employee decorates their own workspace, or they form teams to decorate an entire department or other shared space, everyone will get to enjoy the festive results.
- Trivia games – There is a good reason why trivia nights have sprung up at bars across the United States: People love playing them and are passionate about winning them. So, it makes perfect sense to get employees involved in trivia games.
- Achieving work-related milestones – Of course, competitions can also be work-related, which achieves two objectives: engaging employees while motivating them to do excellent work.
HOW TO KEEP COMPETITION FRIENDLY
It is crucial to maintain control over the tone of workplace competitions, to ensure they remain friendly. You can prevent them from turning into resentment-fueled rivalries by:
- Stressing that, ultimately, employees are competing with themselves to do their personal best – not against each other.
- Recognizing the workers who “win” without putting down their coworkers who fall short of achieving set goals. Focus on the positive outcome and emphasize that everyone has great potential to succeed.
- Setting goals that are crystal clear, achievable, and measurable to keep the competition productive and focused on a positive outcome – not on who “wins” and who “loses.”
Remember, everyone succeeds when the team does! - Making sure activities are inclusive. Your workforce is comprised of people who have different abilities and skill sets. Competition should give everyone the chance to leverage their strengths.
- Never actually use the words “win,” “lose,” or any iterations of them. Choose your words wisely when referring to how employees fare in the competition.
APPEALING INCENTIVES TO OFFER AS REWARDS
Cash incentives such as merchandise, gift cards, or company-branded swag are easy choices for rewards. However, studies show that these items are nearly four times less appealing. (4) For best results, focus on non-cash incentives to provide an experience that impacts top achievers with thoughtful intent, surprise, and delight. Examples include:
- An all-expense-paid trip to an exotic locale in another country.
- Upgraded tickets to a local cultural event like a ballet or opera performance, the opening of a swanky new restaurant, or a live performance by a popular musician or band.
- An intimate cooking class with a heralded local chef, a dance class with an accomplished troupe, or a painting class with a revered artist.
Yes, these incentives require spending a bit more money and investing a little more time. However, the additional effort will pay off handsomely when the recipients become more engaged with your organization and produce higher-quality work. In fact, a recent study found that for every one dollar spent on experiential rewards, employers saw an employee impact equal to three times what they spent. (4)
HEALTHY COMPETITION MAKES EVERYONE A WINNER
By actively participating in competitions that inspire employees to perform at their best, you will create a workforce that feels more connected to each other and to your organization. This type of healthy competition makes everyone a winner, regardless of the competition’s outcome.
For more information about how rewarding your employees with travel incentives can help your organization, contact Gavel International.
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SOURCE(S):
1 https://go.gusto.com/rs/110-WOX-868/images/Framework_Community_at_Work_Survey_final.pdf
2 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/312683/lead-remote-team-away-burnout-not-toward.aspx
3 https://hbr.org/2012/04/the-new-science-of-building-great-teams
4 https://www.reworked.co/the-wire/experiential-rewards-have-nearly-4x-more-impact-on-employee-experience-according-to-new-blueboard-report/
