Software Developer – Starter Kit

Posted on 11th July 2022by adrian.co.oprea

Jumping from a controlled environment of education to an open world industry with lots of choices and paths is not natural nor easy. The education system is half preparing us for real-life problems and use cases, and most of the “solving algorithms” being thought have an ideal context for simplicity reasons.

I found myself that among entry-level developers and people looking for a career shift, there is a need for a roadmap: something that will guide them towards a successful professional developer career in an efficient way – nobody wants to waste his time.

I learned some lessons that I would have liked to know when I took this path by trial and error. Here is my Software Developer Starter Kit that I carried in my backpack while traveling this road.

1. Find yourself a mentor or somebody to admire

Either if it’s a senior colleague or a software developer you follow on Twitter or YouTube, you need the vision, steadiness, and creativity of somebody better than you. You need to learn how to focus and how not to get lost in details. You need to learn how to learn.

Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate.Pragmatic Thinking & Learning, Andy Hunt

It’s not a secret: every job has to be learned, tested, and improved, and the best thing to do this is to watch a master doing it. Usually, you will find this person without too much effort. He’s the guy that everybody respects in your company because he proved himself by delivering high standards results. Watch him work, watch his behavior, watch his attitude in different situations, ask him what he does to improve his work and what you can do to improve yours.

If you’re not in the luck of having such a person in your company, look for a source of inspiration online. There are lots of guys out there that share tutorials, courses, and projects. These people know what they are doing – they are professionals. Watch them. Learn from them.

2. Read a lot

I remember I was not much of a reader myself because of the imposed literature in school. I was in the industry for some time when I met my mentor. Guess what his first advice was?

There’s no shortcut to learning a craft; you just have to put the years in.Kylie Minogue

Well, reading is a kind of shortcut to learning the craft of software. Take it this way – a guy with some years of experience decided to gather all the information on a specific subject and put it in a 300 pages book. He distilled the information, reviewed it, improved it, made a couple of drafts, and then showed it to some other professionals that gave their opinion. Then he published it to the world. It would definitely take more time for you to look and understand that volume of information by just practicing and searching matching subjects on StackOverflow.

I believe that starting a journey with a book provides you with the necessary resources to succeed. It’s like a map of where you are and where you can go.

3. Code code code

A mentor and a book provide can provide wisdom, but that alone is not enough to be a professional. You need to practice.

Everything is practice.

With some background knowledge of the domain you’re diving into and some inspiration from your mentor, you are good to go. There are lots of projects you can start with. There are even websites full of ideas that you can pick from. Don’t make it too complicated – use the main idea and start from there. The rest will follow and remember: you’re learning, not starting a business(not yet, at least).

A simple but efficient method that I found interesting is learning by finding differences between languages, frameworks, and libraries. After I finished a project, I started again in a different language or using another approach. Try writing something in Java and then in C# or Python. If you wrote a front-end application in Angular, try to build it using React or Vue.JS. If you used a synchronous approach to a problem, try asynchronous.

4. Keep going

It’s fair to say that it’s not easy and there is a lot of information. In the beginning, many things won’t make sense, and you will easily get lost and discouraged, but don’t worry – it’s normal. You will get tired, feel overwhelmed, and definitely spend hours figuring things out, but it is well worth it.

Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.John Ruskin

After some time, you will start to recognize patterns and feel like you’re familiar with a subject, giving you confidence. That confidence will power your curiosity. On the other hand, you will lose that confidence often when misjudging a situation or misusing information. The lesson you must learn is that with enough time, everything can be familiar.

I met some younger developers that were chasing money before they got to know the project, the domain they were working in, or the technology they were using. I’m not saying to spend your entire life at one job practice Javascript until the end of it(if there’s any), but before making such decisions focus on your personal improvement. The money will come and go, but the knowledge will stay. And you can produce money anywhere with that knowledge.

5. Make connections, not friends

We spend approximately one-third of our lives working. Our industry indeed offers the opportunity to work from home much easier than others, but be true to yourself: it’s still work. We spend an essential part of our entire life next to some people that we call “colleagues” and sometimes know so little. But we cannot help it. We are social beings, and we like to communicate and be part of a community.

One hand will not wash the other for nothing.

Usually, there are birthdays, weekend parties, team buildings, and some other events that bring people together in a company. These events create bonds between employees and help unify the team, but these bonds are dangerous. I’ve seen people that took decisions about their career based on the relationships at work.

I believe it’s good to have some relationship with your colleagues, one that will provide you with information and connections but if it comes to choose between a better job and an unknown social environment and the current job and a comfortable social environment, always go for the first one. You never know that the current situation will last forever or that the other environment will not be more comfortable. And either way, if you really have friends, you can see them outside of work.

This is my starter kit and I wish I knew these things 5 years ago.

Career Leadership Team Management

Five Enemies of Leadership

Posted on 27th April 2022by adrian.co.oprea

Most leaders are able to lead people to a certain extent, but only the best leaders are able to inspire and motivate their teammates to push beyond boundaries. This is because the best leaders have learned how to overcome or eliminate anything that may hinder them from being effective leaders. When left unchecked, leadership enemies can sabotage your success and may even lead to your downfall.

Do you know your enemies? Here are the five leadership enemies you must be aware of.

1. Ego

Ego is one of the worst enemies of a leader and yet one of the most silent. It can do more damage to a leader and his team than any other enemy because it goes right to the core of who we are as human beings. An overinflated ego can cause a leader to make decisions that are not in the best interest of their team or company, simply because they feel that they are above reproach.

One of the most common effects of ego is focusing more on oneself than the team. This can show up in many different ways, from taking too much credit for a team’s success to not giving enough credit to others to feeling threatened when someone else gets attention. When leaders are focused on themselves instead of the team, you have a recipe for disaster—people begin to feel like their work isn’t valued or appreciated, they don’t trust you or each other, and they may even start to see you as manipulating them.

Another symptom of ego is having a hard time admitting when you’re wrong. It’s a common human flaw, of course, but it’s especially dangerous for leaders. When you can’t accept that you made a mistake, it means you’re not learning from your mistakes and thus you’ll keep making them over and over again. If you’re too busy trying to prove that you were right, then you’re not actually doing the work of fixing things—you’re just trying to come out on top.

2. Compromising on Values

Leadership is about standing for something in particular and being the kind of person others respect, trust, and follow willingly. If leaders compromise their values and beliefs, they destroy their own integrity – the engine for authority and power; once it’s gone, a leader can’t do much more than bark orders at subordinates or threaten them with repercussions if they don’t comply.

The workplace is full of compromises and difficult decisions. That’s just part of the job. It’s rare that a leader can achieve everything they want without making some concessions along the way. But there is a line between a compromise and a capitulation, between tough choices and selling out. The challenge for leaders is knowing where that line is and not crossing it.

We can’t always control the situations we’re in, but we can always control how we react. When you’re put against the wall, you must remember that your integrity is inseparable from your character. A leader who compromises his core values for the sake of a position or money will ultimately lose both because he has no backbone and thus no leadership skills—and people will sense this immediately.

3. Complacency

Complacency is defined as contentment with how things are and satisfaction with your current situation. A complacent person is one who is already satisfied and will not push themselves to reach new heights and will not make others reach new heights either. They become content and stagnant in their progression forward in their mission.

Sometimes leaders choose to focus solely on their purpose, ignoring the completely quality of their work. While this gives the highest value in the short term, it becomes a disease in the long term. When the quality of work lowers, the Broken Window effect starts to appear, and leaders can become complacent with the current situation.

The enemy of innovation is success.

When you fall into a comfortable routine, it can be challenging to stay motivated, especially when it comes to personal growth. Complacency can lead to an attitude of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” which is the worst thing for any leader. While your routine may have gotten you where you are today, that doesn’t mean it’s enough to keep your moving forward. If you’re not growing and learning new things, then you’re falling behind.

4. Lack of Empathy

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s an awareness of both what people say and how they say it and how your words and actions will impact them. When leaders lack empathy, they can’t form strong relationships with the people who rely on them. In addition, they might be unaware of or unconcerned about their shortcomings as leaders, which can be caused by arrogance or simply ignorance of what makes a great leader.

One very real result of this kind of leadership is that these leaders tend to lose the respect of their staff members. They might be seen as uncaring, selfish, or harsh as they cannot change the lens through which they view the world. This behavior leads to complicated situations where the leader blames the employees for poor performance, cannot see past mistakes, and lacks the trust needed to form healthy relationships.

When a leader demonstrates empathy, employees are more likely to feel comfortable approaching her with concerns or questions. An empathetic leader will also be better able to communicate effectively with his team members because he’ll be able to adjust his tone and choice of words according to how he thinks the other person will respond best. This can increase morale by making everyone feel that they’re being treated fairly, making them more likely to be dedicated and committed to their work.

5. Not Challenging the Status Quo

Challenging the status quo is a tough job. It’s not easy to stand out and lead your team to success when everyone else seems happy with the way things are going. In fact, challenging the status quo can be downright dangerous. That’s because any time you challenge something, there’s a chance that you’ll fail. And that means that you might lose everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

But if you don’t take risks, your team won’t grow, learn, or evolve. It’s worth the risk, and I dare to say it’s your responsibility as a leader. You must push boundaries and be innovative and disruptive to achieve the best results for your company, team, and customers. You owe that to whoever believed in you to take the lead and you owe that to your team.

Challenging the status quo means:

doing things differently than how they have always been done before.
doing what you feel is right despite what everyone else says or thinks about it.
saying no when everyone else says yes.
thinking outside of the box instead of staying inside of it.
making mistakes that no one else makes because most people are too afraid to do anything different.

The Bottom Line

Now, take a deep breath, and see if you can recognize any of these enemies in yourself. Then, prepare for tomorrow wisely, and fight them so that you can hopefully lead the team to success.

Career

In a World of Power, Stay Humble

Posted on 1st July 2021by adrian.co.oprea

The longing for and pursuit of power is nothing new. We live in a time where a business tycoon became president, police are abusing their power, and corporate greed is still an everyday norm. But, something about all of this is different this time around. We’re not standing for it. We’re seeing ego, greed, corruption and we’re calling it out. It’s important to stay humble and think twice before you speak – especially if you’re in a leadership position.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

In 1973 this experiment went underway to determine if brutality inflicted on prisoners by guards was due to hostile personalities, or due to the power associated with their role. The experiment found that “prisoners and guards may behave in a hostile manner due to the rigid power structure of the social environment in prisons. Zimbardo predicted the situation made people act the way they do rather than their disposition” (1). Participants were paid $15 a day to be a part of this experiment. They were “randomly assigned to either the role of a prisoner or guard in a simulated prison environment.”

The study goes on to cite, “Within hours of beginning the experiment some guards began to harass prisoners. At 2:30 A.M. prisoners were awakened from sleep by blasting whistles for the first of many “counts.” The counts served as a way to familiarizing the prisoners with their numbers. More importantly, they provided a regular occasion for the guards to exercise control over the prisoners.”

Intoxication of Power

According to this psychology article, power itself can be intoxicating and that is what pushes those in a leadership position to edge towards corruption. It is suggested that those who engage “in wrong behavior simply because they can and they can get away with it” (2). The saying “drunk with power” is a prime example of this. In a way, it’s people testing the new and more expanded boundaries of their reality, no matter the cost.

Be Humble, Sit Down

If you are in a position of power, especially if this experience is new for you, you may be wondering how you can keep your morals and not let your position of authority go to your head. Humility in leaders is rare and it’s what makes the good ones last. It takes more strength and courage to lead with humility than it does to abuse your power. Humility is a sought-after trait for top-performing leaders.

In Jim Collins’s book Good to Great, Collins “found two common traits of CEOs in companies that transitioned from average to superior market performance: humility and an indomitable will to advance the cause of the organization” (3). Additionally, a survey that included 105 software and hardware firms as participants was published in the Journal of Management and stated that “humility in CEOs led to higher-performing leadership teams, increased collaboration and cooperation and flexibility in developing strategies” (4).

In order to be humble, you must know how to admit fault and take accountability. Leadership and power tends to be observed more through the execution of actions. Do you give others credit where due? Do you take responsibility and accountability? How do you act when you receive credit, praise, a raise or promotion? How does your team see you? In an organization like Netflix, open feedback is encouraged and even required once a year. This process allows managers to review one another and their employees, and one step further, allows employees to review their managers as well. Employees are even welcome to cite feedback of the CEO and other leadership positions, all in an effort to keep everyone communicative, honest, and humble.

So, the next time you find yourself in a position of power and have even the slightest temptation to see how far you can go with that power, take a minute to pause. Think before you speak. Check-in with yourself and your morales before making decisions. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, “be humble, sit down.”

Career

Say No to Outside Noise

Posted on 15th May 2021by adrian.co.oprea

In our society, we are encouraged to be “yes” men and women. Social media, books, movies, even our friends and family are likely to push us to take risks, opportunities, and commitments that come our way. This falls in line with toxic positivity, a phrase coined by our culture promoting “no bad days” and “good vibes only,” what we mean is, this kind of mentality is only looking at one side of the coin. It’s black and white thinking. If we say yes to everything we will stretch ourselves too thin, mentally, emotionally, physically, and even financially. This is especially true in the workplace.

Is it Essential?

We are constantly being plagued by sensory and information overload. It seems every year there is a new social media app we have to get on and add to our daily routine of the others we’re already checking daily. All of them vying for our attention with still only the same finite amount of attention to divide and give. Now consider this in workplace terms. On any given day in a typical office or corporate environment, you have an unending onslaught of emails, meetings, and calls all before you can get to your actual work.

It’s no wonder people are feeling overwhelmed, undermotivated, and stressed beyond belief. Not only “does information overload slow down your employee’s productivity, it also impacts their ability to make timely decisions. They [are more likely to] feel confused, stressed out, frustrated, and naturally start making mistakes. Simply put, information overload shuts our brains down!” (1). This begs the question, what, if any of the information we’re being bombarded with, is essential?

Take for example Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In his book, McKeown goes over the principles of essentialism and what it means to only focus on what is essential. By cutting out the noise, we can shift our attention, time and energy to what matters and mitigate stress and overload.

Learn to Say No

McKeown says the principle’s behind essentialism is to think of it as a mindset. “We are facing an unholy alliance between social media, smartphones, and consumerism. It’s not all bad, but certain forces that have come together are producing an unintended result for all of us,” McKeown said. “Our whole society has become consumed by the undisciplined pursuit of more. The only way to overcome this problem is to change the way we think—adopt the mindset of only doing the things that are essential—and do it now” (2).

This is not a tip or tactic, rather it’s a mentality to adopt. A lifestyle to live by, in and out of work. Managers in the workplace need to have strong values to go by. These values will act as guides when things come up that ask for your attention, and when measured against the values, saying yes or no will be easier to discern. A good manager knows how to eliminate non-essential time wasters. Saying yes to something that is non-essential is a good way to waste time, money, and talent alike.

Take an example from an article in the Harvard Business Review (3) about the discipline of knowing values and saying no in a business: “Today, every time new work comes in the door, everyone in the firm is encouraged to ask, “Should we take it?” We refer to our mission statement and values frequently, and on a daily basis we discuss what it means to be a “right” client. We have learned that defining our core business is the first and most critical step in even beginning to say no—it makes the process possible. Without guideposts, we wouldn’t have a clue what business to take and what to turn away.”

Continued Readings

What should be a simple topic is actually quite deep. There have been several books written on it that go into more examples and guidelines to help yourself unlearn the pattern of saying yes to everything and instead adopt the discipline of learning to say no. For further reading on the subject in order to become a better employee, manager, or business owner, check out the following:

Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success by Ken Segall
- This book takes a look at the methods first put in place by Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs. Many of his methods are still used by Apple to this day which is a huge part of their massive international success in the tech world.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
- In this book, you will learn how to cut out distractions and sit with a task through completion in order to produce better results in less time.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
- As we already discussed earlier in this blog, this book takes a look at what is essential and what isn’t so you can better manage your time, your team, and your business.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, step back, and ask yourself, “is this essential?”

Career Team Management

How to Act Like a High Performing Leader

Posted on 20th March 2021by adrian.co.oprea

Not every leader is a high-performer. This tends to come down to personality type more than anything, but the good news is you can acquire the skills and mindset needed to act like a high-performing leader. We break it down for you here so you can get in the zone and maximize your business and leadership skills.

Don’t Micromanage, Delegate

High-performing leaders don’t micromanage their employees and the work they are given. Instead, they trust their employees and give them space to do what is needed. In order to be a high-performer, you must learn to delegate and not take on every task yourself. That is a surefire way to burnout, the opposite of high-performing. If you’re uncomfortable delegating, you’re not alone. Here are a few steps to help get you started and comfortable with the process:

Let go of some control and know that it’s not possible to do everything yourself
Start by delegating small tasks before working your way up to bigger ones
Have a strategy when it comes to delegating bigger tasks

It’s important to “choose the right person for the task. You shouldn’t delegate work to someone just because they have the capacity to do it. Instead, you need to choose a person whose skill set is right for the task and is capable of doing the work without assistance” (1). When you delegate a task you need to set clear expectations on the work you anticipate receiving, a timeline, and channels of communication.

Coach Your Team

Having trust in your team goes a long way. An effective and high-performing leader knows when to take a step back and allow their team to take care of things. The key to having a truly effective team is to lead by example. There is a difference between coaching and micromanaging. A “team without trust isn’t really a team” (2). It’s important that your team trusts one another, and you as a leader. Reference the following tips to help build an environment of trust with your team:

Follow through on promises you make, this will help you to lead by example of keeping accountability
Encourage open, honest, and frequent communication on your team
Meet regularly about important projects and weekly tasks for the team so everyone feels included and informed
Get to know your team personally, it shows that you care about them as more than just an employee
Foster a sense of team and discourage any cliques that may form

Accept the Reality

Sometimes, things don’t go our way. When this happens it does us no good to sit and ruminate. We need to accept the reality of a difficult situation and do what we can to proceed in a way that’s best for the business. A good leader is not one who never makes mistakes or difficult choices, it’s one who has the respect of their team no matter what. If you have to make budget cuts, layoffs, or pivot, take accountability and responsibility. Don’t shift blame to your employees. Employees are only as good as the person leading them.

Consistency and Integrity

High-performing leaders are good listeners. They have clear communication and know how to delegate work. They accept their reality without shifting blame and move forward accordingly. If you keep all of this in check, you will be consistent. Consistency is akin to reliability. People see your actions enough and they can begin to rely on you in certain situations. Perhaps most of all, have a sense of integrity.

Take for example Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings. To this day he encourages all employees of the ever-growing organization to approach him and communicate with one another. He wears T-shirts and Converse sneakers around the office. In fact, he doesn’t even have an office. This rule does not just apply to him. He has promoted the infamous Netflix Culture Deck (1), a big part of which speaks about visibility amongst all employees.

This means that managers do not have offices at Netflix. Headquarters is an open floor plan so all employees can be seen and heard. The few “offices” that do exist have floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors so things are visible at all times. Now that, is how you become a high-performing manager who leads by example.

Career

Software Developer – Starter Kit

Posted on 7th March 2021by adrian.co.oprea

I learned some lessons that I would have liked to know when I took this path by trial and error. Here is my Software Developer Starter Kit that I carried in my backpack while traveling this road.

1. Find yourself a mentor or somebody to admire

Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate.
Pragmatic Thinking & Learning, Andy Hunt

If you’re not in the luck of having such a person in your company, look for a source of inspiration online. There are lots of guys out there sharing tutorials, courses, and projects. These people know what they are doing – they are professionals. Watch them. Learn from them.

2. Read. A lot

I remember I was not much of a reader myself because of the imposed literature in school. I was in the industry for some time when I met my mentor. Guess what his first advice was?

There’s no shortcut to learning a craft; you just have to put the years in.
Kylie Minogue

Well, reading is a kind of shortcut to learning the craft of software. Take it this way – a guy with some years of experience decided to gather all the information on a specific subject and put it in a 300 pages book. He distilled the information, reviewed it, improved it, made a couple of drafts, and then showed it to some other professionals that gave their opinion. Then he published it to the world. It would take more time for you to look and understand that volume of information by just practicing and searching matching subjects on StackOverflow.

I believe that starting a journey with a book provides you with the necessary resources to succeed. It’s like a map of where you are and where you can go.

3. Code, code, code

A mentor and a book provide can provide wisdom, but that alone is not enough to be a professional. You need to practice.

Everything is practice

With some background knowledge of the domain you’re diving into and some inspiration from your mentor, you are good to go. There are lots of projects you can start with. There are even websites full of ideas that you can pick from. Don’t make it too complicated – use the main idea and start from there. The rest will follow, and remember: you’re learning, not starting a business(not yet, at least).

4. Keep going

Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.
John Ruskin

I met some younger developers that were chasing money before they got to know the project, the domain they were working in, or the technology they were using. I’m not saying to spend your entire life at one job practicing Javascript until the end of it(if there’s any), but before making such decisions focus on your personal improvement. The money will come and go, but the knowledge will stay. And you can produce money anywhere with that knowledge.

5. Make connections, not friends

We spend approximately one-third of our lives working. Our industry indeed offers the opportunity to work from home much easier than others, but be true to yourself: it is still work. We spend an essential part of our entire life next to some people that we call “colleagues” and sometimes know so little. But we cannot help it. We are social beings, and we like to communicate and be part of a community.

One hand will not wash the other for nothing.

Career Team Management

How to Handle Tough Decisions As a Manager

Posted on 24th February 2021by adrian.co.oprea

Everyone wants to be in charge until they’re the ones faced with a difficult decision. Whether it’s handling an upset client, bad blood between employees, an inefficient member of your team, or weighing in on a new product or feature – the pressure is on when you’re in charge. Some people freeze up, and this can make the decision process more lengthy and difficult, and even worse – can make you look ill-equipped as a manager. Here are a few steps to work through the next time you’re faced with a difficult decision.

Impact of a Decision or Indecision

Things progress and have an impact whether or not we give our input, so we might as well speak up and have a say in the matter. After all, that’s one of the exciting parts about being a manager, isn’t it? Being able to weigh in on things shows a sense of authority, responsibility, and leadership. When faced with a decision, ask yourself the impact that either choice will have on yourself, your team, and the company.

Analyze the impact a decision will have both immediate and on the bigger picture. Break this down by employees, clients, and finances if possible.
Prioritize the decision as to not waste time. Is this something that can be handled by someone else? Can you act as a team to get something done?
Eliminate non-essential noise and focus only on what matters the most. Every decision will come with the expense of consequences and multiple outcomes that might affect you or the business both ways. What are the important requirements of the company?
Wear all hats. Analyze the outcomes from different angles. How does this decision affect me if I was the owner of the business? How does this decision affect me if I was a member of the team?

Communication

Maybe your decision has to do with an employee you manage. Perhaps it’s someone whose chronically late, despite all your warnings. Maybe they got into an argument with a coworker and things are tense. These can be especially difficult to navigate because the problem is internal and involves emotions and wellbeing from people on your team. The biggest step to take into consideration for handling office politics and bad apples is clear, concise, and empathetic communication.

Yes, it is a place of business, but we all have emotions and pretending we don’t only lead to a festering of negative emotions. Take the time to assess the situation and if needed, speak to each employee individually who was involved. Know what you are going to say beforehand. Remember, “effective communication is imperative to inspire individuals or the team” (1).

Accountability

In a leadership role, people are looking to you to take accountability. This means how well you own up to your tasks, their completion, and the team you manage. It’s important to stay mindful of your role and that of your team when you’re a part of a bigger organization. If you’re not sure where to begin with taking accountability, take a step back and first define the problem. Layout all of your possible decisions and begin by first eliminating the ones that do not fit. This should help lead you to the most appropriate decision.

If possible, use performance data to support your decisions
Is there any evidence to back the decision you’re inclined to make?
Does the decision fit in line with the business objective?
Is the decision financially viable?
Is it possible to get an outside perspective?
Be honest with yourself
Are you able to get opinions from employees you trust on the matter?
Play devil’s advocate before you commit to a decision to think it all the way through

It’s Not Easy

We know making the tough calls isn’t always easy. In fact, Harvard Business Review conducted a decade-long study “of more than 2,700 leaders, 57% [of which] percent of newly appointed executives said that decisions were more complicated and difficult than they expected” (2). A lot of difficult decisions come with risk, and that can oftentimes be an indicator that the decision is important. While it’s never easy to make the wrong decision, don’t let the fear of that happening stop you.

The only way to find out an outcome is to make a decision and see it through. If you make a decision that backfires and it falls to you, take accountability and come up with a plan of action to make it right. What matters at the end of the day is how well you analyze, problem solve, and how quickly and confidently you can come to decisions. And, how well you handle the aftermath of any decision, no matter the outcome.

Career Team Management

Is Inter-Team Competition Healthy in the Workplace?

Posted on 13th January 2021by adrian.co.oprea

When it comes to the workplace, there is a certain level of built-in competition amongst workers. This is because most people have a natural drive to want to stand out to upper management in order to succeed and get ahead with promotions, raises, and accolades. On the other end of the same coin, most workplaces today encourage teamwork as opposed to seeing your fellow coworkers as competition. This is where things get a little gray. Is inter-team competition healthy in the workplace? Or is it hampering productivity, confidence, and happiness among workers?

Winner Takes All

Whether or not we like it, there is always going to be some competition at work. The amount will vary by industry and frankly, by the person. Some people are naturally far more competitive than others. The New York Times cited “competition that remains perhaps the defining feature of the upper echelon in today’s white-collar workplace.” This is true for many large companies known to pay generously, such as:

Amazon
Netflix
Goldman Sachs
And even the White House

These companies are notorious for their “winner takes all” approaches, which can backfire. Because these companies and more promote competition, people begin to burn themselves out in order to stay competitive and thus, stay ahead. Someone may suggest a better work/life balance, but the first person to answer emails on vacation or at 3 AM suddenly seems more “dedicated” than the person who wanted a better balance and the cycle of competition continues.

The legal field is “one of the most brutal when it comes to pace and time commitment,” according to The NY Times. It “illuminates the economic logic of a system where a large initial cohort of workers is gradually culled until only a small fraction are left.” This type of workplace competition creates the pressure to always be available and has the perception of looking unfavorably upon those who are not.

Pros of Workplace Competition

While the “winner takes all” mentality may scare some off, it is enticing to others. Not all work environments are brutally competitive, some hit the right balance and there can be benefits to this.

The Reward: Let’s be honest, one of the biggest perks of a little healthy competition in the workplace is the enticement of the reward at the end. This could be anything from praise to a promotion or an increase in our salary.
Rivalry is Psychologically Healthy: According to this psychological medical journal, a little rivalry instills a sense of purpose in us. This ranges from sports teams to work teams and even our personal relationships. When rivalry and competition are present in our environment, it can motivate us to put in more effort, take our job more seriously, and perform better.
Increased Productivity: In tandem with the above, inter-team competition can increase our desire to go the extra mile and increase our production output.
Increased Teamwork: While in essence, we are competing with our team, this also brings the opportunity to show we are a team player rather than someone who cannot get along with others. Having both qualities stands out in the workplace.
Opportunities for Innovation: When there is some competition, it brings forth the opportunity for us to solve problems and streamline workflows in new and better ways. This will also help you stand out to upper management.
Weed out Poor Workers: If someone on your team is underperforming, it would be unfair for them to receive the same amount of credit as those who are performing adequately or well-above standards. Inter-team competition helps show people’s true strengths and colors at work.

Cons of Workplace Competition

In some scenarios, inter-team competition can be too intense and have some negative consequences for workers and upper-management alike.

Unethical Practices: In one instance, employees at Wells Fargo were pressured by executives to meet revenue quotas. Because of this, some employees took to falsifying bank accounts and credit cards in order to get ahead. Forbes stated that Wells Fargo is now looking at a $3 Billion repayment plan to make up for these actions.
Tensions: Some people will take competition in the workplace too seriously and this can create unhealthy rifts between coworkers.
Burnout: Perfectionists will be the first to burn out by always striving to stay ahead and stay on top. Others will soon experience workplace burnout, especially if staying competitive means decreasing the time spent on their health and personal lives, which can increase unhappiness and health-related conditions.

Conclusion

Inter-team competition “between employees is an inescapable part of most people’s work lives,” says the Harvard Business Review. People adapt to a certain level of expected competition. When the right balance is struck by both workplace and employee, this can be where productivity booms and respect and confidence come without question. If the competition is at an unhealthy level, people will feel pressured to keep up out of fear of losing their job if they don’t. If the competition is healthy, it can increase happiness, sense of purpose, and teamwork amongst employees.

Harvard Business Review conducted a study with 204 employees from a wide background of industries and asked how competitive their workplace was and how they felt about it. Their analysis reported “when the employment policies elicited excitement, employees were significantly more likely to use creativity. When managers felt anxious about employment policies, they were significantly more likely to cut corners or sabotage colleagues.” This all comes down to how competitive the work environment is, what the reward is, and how employees feel and approach inter-team competition. Inter-team competition is something that needs to be clearly defined with consequences laid out as well as the rewards in order to have it be successful in the workplace.