Sky is the Limit

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others” Ayn Rand Do you watch sporting events? Olympics, Masters, Tournaments? If yes, then most likely you have seen individuals at their highest level of competitiveness. You will see them push harder, pull longer, and fight to the end. You have seen them bleed, sweat, and even cry. If you look a little closer, you will also notice one more thing. Winning or losing is mostly based on the capabilities and the final scores of the two challengers. Their next move is in part a reaction greatly based on the competitor’s move. I think this is all exciting to see, especially in a boxing ring, a car race, and even in a chess game. I am not sure though, that the same pattern should be applied in our place of work. Sadly, in sales this is a very common model. Sports are physical-- Reaction, comparison of scores, and going after the competition are part of it all. However, basing our success on such external factors, rather than on internal abilities could soon make us feel as if we just got lost in the game. Companies are going to do what they believe is best to encourage production. The question is what are YOU going to do to keep your sanity? The Creative Process does not stop you from participating in any group-related activities at work. Whether it is a contest, a match, or a challenge, participation should not be a considered the problem; it is actually the approach we take that makes the difference. Such activities are known to stimulate the individual, and in some cases, they can even be encouraging. They promote the desire to stretch to match or exceed coworkers’ scores. That is the reason why some people consider all the activities to be “motivators”. However, I encourage you to remember at all times, that it is not about the game…it is all about the strategy. Pick up a dictionary…any dictionary, and search for the word Competition. Most likely, you will encounter at least one or two of the following words associated with the term: rivalry, contention, tug of war, and aggression. Some more positive definitions of the term like, ‘spirited’, ‘gung ho’, and ‘ready for action’ may come up. Based on that contrast, I am not surprised that many of us in the field choose competing as the most useful approach based on the notion that it is a ‘good enough’ combination that somehow works, and it gets the job done. That is how many of us are getting by…it seems that we are conforming to ‘good enough’. A great number of salespeople would credit their success to their competitive drive. Competition to them feels like a rush that compels them to push harder and work tirelessly. In sales, competition can be considered at times a given; and a feature that has developed into an integral part of the job description. However, the question arises…is competition the healthy pathway to our targets? By daily living the competitive habit at work, we tend to generate within ourselves the feeling that enough is never enough. We are geared toward a desire to be better than somebody else, a struggle to have better numbers on the board, and a constant quest to get more recognition from superiors and managers, just to mention some examples. This conditioning may make it harder to achieve a feeling of accomplishment or satisfaction, and could be a major risk factor for the levels of stress known to plague workers People can be easily drawn into competition much the same way many become addicted to sugar-based products, including candies and drinks. The products promise that coveted pick-me-up, and of course their sweet taste, but in the end, the effects and results of working within the Competitive could be eerily similar: an initial rush, destined to end up in a crash. The Competitive process could be at fault for encouraging the notion that it is necessary to go to work prepared for a battle; one in which the main strategy includes tactics for “beating” numbers; those of outside competitors, as well as peers within the organization. We are transforming our workplace into a battlefield. Do you know what happens when we head to work every day prepared for war? Well, we make war… sometimes on ourselves! At the end of the day, even after meeting all sales expectations, it is important to ask ourselves if it was all worth it. I am talking about the stress, tension, desperation, and even at some point, that “burned-out” feeling. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is a federal agency responsible for conducting studies and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illnesses. Their research gives us insight into all the risks associated with stress at work today. Some of their findings report that job stress is believed to increase the risk for muscle disorders and other illnesses that could be at fault for excessive health care utilization. Several other studies link work-related stress with depression, heart conditions, and to cases involving suicide. According to those findings, it seems that job stress poses a very real threat to the health of workers. It is commonly understood that people with known levels of excessive stress experience loss of appetite, restless sleep, and a complete sense of exhaustion; other known risks include, depression, migraines, skin problems, and now, according to Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser trainer), stress can even make us fat. It does not stop there. The tension seems to reflect back into one’s personal life. It seems that despite the technological advances of our times, a switch to turn off all the after-work stress is still long way from invention. In the meantime, a great number of people will most likely experience the consequences of stress after leaving work, and its ripple effects in our personal lives; affecting the way we interact with those, we love. Sales quotas and deadlines may place the employee in such a high competitive gear that the individual may naturally consider it to be exhilarating and even fun at times to respond to the challenges posed by the workplace; but it is after failing to meet some of those expectations, that it all could turn into a real nightmare instead. See Jason’s case, for example. He remained a top producer for his company, for quite some time, until realizing that his numbers and income were nowhere close to years past. What affected him most, he says, was noticing all the fresh, new sales staff coming into the organization, “pulling up higher numbers”. His wife started to notice how he was becoming irritable and short-tempered. Jason later began expressing to her his concerns about how he pulled 10- to 12-hour shifts trying to exceed sales expectations and deadlines; and how no matter how hard he tried he wasn’t able to figure out how to perform at the same level that placed others on top. It seemed to me that Jason was having somewhat of a breakdown himself. It is clear, based on his own reports, that he was placing more attention on others rather than on himself. He never said he didn’t meet sales expectations, it seems, instead, that he was struggling to “exceed” others’. His case can ultimately teach us that we lose our power when we focus on others; and it reminds us of the relevance of finding a process that give us the ability to keep our power within us.