FRIENDLY COMPETITION

So how do you get people to engage in friendly competition and motivate them to keep trying until they’re satisfied with their performance? You have to frame, communicate, and present performance information that promotes that friendly competition. Leaderboards are one tool you can use, as is the Big Fish, Little Pond mentality.  

 

Leaderboards are publicly visible rankings that allow people to see how they compare to everyone else they are competing against. The Big Fish, Little Pond mentality says that people who outperform those close to them in ability still get satisfaction and motivation, even if they don’t end up at the top of the leaderboard.

 

Try this: Combine the Leaderboard and Big Fish, Little Pond mentality by creating a tiered leaderboard against a specific goal. Leaderboards work best if everyone agrees on what they’re being measured against. And you’ll be able to motivate a greater number of employees by creating tiers—you may have one overall winner, but you’ll have many more people who feel motivated and have improved their skillset.