This thread on competition has certainly raised a lot of issues
that seem to me worth thinking about.
So I wonder if anyone who's following this thread has a particular
kind of experience with systems of competition in organizations--
and of course, systems that produce learning would be most
interesting.
The best way for you to get a handle on what I'm wondering about
may be for me to tell you how a friend of mine once put it to
me...
Why is it that, say, a tennis player-- playing for the most crucial
point of the match-- will drop his racquet, fall to his knees, grip
his fists in joy, and look to the sky when his opponent finally
makes the final, deadly mistake that loses the match...
...when the error is unforced?
It's probably not the joy of demonstrating superior skill gained
from practice and hard work. The opponent has simply suffered a
misfortune, and in the game situation-- rather than becoming
disappointed at losing the opportunity to demonstrate superior
skill-- the luckier player gets happy when the opponent suffers
misfortune.
...or seems to get happy.
Compared to situations where we care most about life-- say, when a
child is born, or when a loved one fights death, and loses-- the
feeling is different. Here, when life continues to exist, we really
get happy.
So if a person respects another person, that is, respects the
existence, the life, of another person, how could the misfortune
of that person possibly make the other happy?
>From this perspective, competition seems, quite often, to cause
the misfortune of others.
So here's what I'm wondering...
Does anyone here know of a system of competition in an organization
where the only action by which it's possible to win is the action
of cooperating with team partners?
Football-- or the other teams sports that I'm familiar with-- would
not be an template. Although football players win as a team and
must cooperate to win in these kinds of games, the action a player
takes to achieve that goal is individually, in coordination with
others, to beat another individual on the other team. Or cause him
misfortune somehow (at times, the opposing player may
"accidentally" trip).
Pair skating or sailing may be closer to a good template.
But even in these cases, a team or pair usually feels "happy" when
a competing team suffers misfortune.
Is it possible, then, to set up a system of competition in an
organization where these feelings of happiness at others'
misfortunes do not exist?
I think I can imagine one situation where this might happen. But it
seems to me that there must be a real example of this kind of
thing, somewhere.
Anyone know of such a system?
Best Regards,
Lee Bloomquist
lbloomquist@mcimail.com
--Lee Bloomquist <LBLOOMQUIST/0005099717@MCIMAIL.COM>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>