Managing your Talents [3] - Competition

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Competition is the following:

“Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people’s performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don’t compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely."

But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Competition?

When you are strongly competitive in nature, you don't have to be intentional about competing and measuring against others.  It comes natural. You compete. You compare. You strive to win and be the best.

This means you have to manage your competitive nature well, because not everyone else is focused on winning and comparison. So, the first important aspect of managing your Competition talent: be aware that often you may be the only one involved in a competition.Very often you might be frustrated when other do not take up the challenge to compete.  You might find that they do not nearly care as much as you do if they win or lose.  And that is not wrong, or weak.  It is simply different.  You need to respect that difference and at the same time sometimes "contain" your desire to compete.

How?

Once you are aware of the fact that your competetiveness is actually a talent or a strength, and not something everyone does or should posess, the management of it will become easier.  So, awareness of the nature of the talent is important.  You should see your competitive nature as an intrinsic motivation and energy-source - but not project it on others, expecting them to be / act / feel the same towards winning.

A second  characteristic of Competition that should be managed well, is the absolute need to be the best, and - if you think it not to be possible, you lose the will to compete at all.  Winning and being number 1 is a good thing.  It creates champions, heroes and idols. It spurs others to compete and perform above their standards. But (and I know every natural competitor will cringe at my statement), winning is not everything. You cannot always win, or be the best. There is a definite difference between actually winning and striving full out to win. And very often in life, it is the latter that is needed more.

How?

 Try to differentiate actually winning or being the best from who you really are.  If you let winning define everything about yourself, you will end up not being all you can be. Turn the energy you've got in striving to win into a positive emotional experience both for yourself and for others.  An immature Competition Talent that is not well managed can cause a lot of friction and simply make people dislike you.  BUT:  seek out other competitors to really test yourself against.  that will push your limits.

Are you a Competitor by nature?  Do you get emotional if you win or lose?  Reply by commenting on your take...

- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic Global.

Important note when reading this:  in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation.  I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration.  This  is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold.  Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it".  But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

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