Lessons on Leadership: Lose the “Common Enemy” Talk and Focus on Collaboration
By Alexander Lyon, Ph.D.
Most sports teams have rivals. So do many companies. Apple computers used to see IBM as their rival. Nowadays, Apple runs their playful, “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ad campaign.
Rivalries sometimes make sense in business, but not always. True, we often feel bound together by the realization of a “common enemy.” This might be okay as long as it is meant to build up instead of tear down and is done in a good-natured way. However, companies often get obsessed with competitors to their own harm.
I recently heard about a sales meeting at the local branch of a retail chain store. The sales manager ranted about a successful local mom-and-pop store I’ll call “Freddy’s.” The manager framed the mom-and-pop store as a common enemy. “If Freddy’s burned to the ground, I’d urinate on the ashes,” the manager scowled at his employees. And, no, he didn’t say, “urinate.” His word was less formal.
Emotional rhetoric like this about competitors is an overplayed song that’s lost its charm on most employees. In fact, it can do great harm. Do we really want our employees out on the floor in this state of mind? Will this make our company great?
Talk like this breeds negativity and stress. It’s not a coincidence that this company has extremely high employee turnover. Employees are burned out and jump ship at the first opportunity. I have shopped at this location myself. The employees are noticeably unhappy and unwelcoming.
Even worse, some organizations encourage interdepartmental rivalries. I’ve seen numerous businesses that seem to want their departments to view each other as enemies. The results are horrible. Employees are encouraged to take the low road and waste time undermining other departments.
Let’s face it. Interdepartmental turf wars squander enormous time and talent. Encouraging internal rivalries is downright counterproductive. It reminds me of the practice of chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” at other kids in the playground. We may be older but our mindset has not yet grown with us, a mindset that has no place in successful organizations.
When our people spend their time locking horns, they are not working productively for the company. Even managers who merely tolerate internal rivalries need a vacation to regain their perspective and reprioritize.
The other department is not your enemy; infighting is your enemy. Instead, we need to preach and practice genuine teamwork. We need to encourage a collaborative rather than an overly competitive mindset. Collaboration breeds innovation, the magic ingredient to success these days.
Leaders who pursue greatness should drop talk that tears down competitors, other departments, and their own employees and enhance their leadership repertoire with talk that encourages genuine collaboration and teamwork.
Dr. Alexander Lyon is a professor and professional speaker and can be reached via www.alexanderlyon.com
By Alexander Lyon, Ph.D.
Most sports teams have rivals. So do many companies. Apple computers used to see IBM as their rival. Nowadays, Apple runs their playful, “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ad campaign.
Rivalries sometimes make sense in business, but not always. True, we often feel bound together by the realization of a “common enemy.” This might be okay as long as it is meant to build up instead of tear down and is done in a good-natured way. However, companies often get obsessed with competitors to their own harm.
I recently heard about a sales meeting at the local branch of a retail chain store. The sales manager ranted about a successful local mom-and-pop store I’ll call “Freddy’s.” The manager framed the mom-and-pop store as a common enemy. “If Freddy’s burned to the ground, I’d urinate on the ashes,” the manager scowled at his employees. And, no, he didn’t say, “urinate.” His word was less formal.
Emotional rhetoric like this about competitors is an overplayed song that’s lost its charm on most employees. In fact, it can do great harm. Do we really want our employees out on the floor in this state of mind? Will this make our company great?
Talk like this breeds negativity and stress. It’s not a coincidence that this company has extremely high employee turnover. Employees are burned out and jump ship at the first opportunity. I have shopped at this location myself. The employees are noticeably unhappy and unwelcoming.
Even worse, some organizations encourage interdepartmental rivalries. I’ve seen numerous businesses that seem to want their departments to view each other as enemies. The results are horrible. Employees are encouraged to take the low road and waste time undermining other departments.
Let’s face it. Interdepartmental turf wars squander enormous time and talent. Encouraging internal rivalries is downright counterproductive. It reminds me of the practice of chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” at other kids in the playground. We may be older but our mindset has not yet grown with us, a mindset that has no place in successful organizations.
When our people spend their time locking horns, they are not working productively for the company. Even managers who merely tolerate internal rivalries need a vacation to regain their perspective and reprioritize.
The other department is not your enemy; infighting is your enemy. Instead, we need to preach and practice genuine teamwork. We need to encourage a collaborative rather than an overly competitive mindset. Collaboration breeds innovation, the magic ingredient to success these days.
Leaders who pursue greatness should drop talk that tears down competitors, other departments, and their own employees and enhance their leadership repertoire with talk that encourages genuine collaboration and teamwork.
Dr. Alexander Lyon is a professor and professional speaker and can be reached via www.alexanderlyon.com
