Every employee deals with workplace competition from time to time. A little healthy competitiveness is always welcomed and should exist since it stimulates growth, but this healthy competition can occasionally develop into undesirable competitiveness. A person will always experience mental and emotional stress as a result of this condition, and the staff will also become divided as a result.
One must identify the issue’s underlying problem, its effects on pupils as well as on a personal and professional level (as well as on the teachers as a whole) as well as the students as they tend to understand and be affected as well if the teacher is agitated, and the best options to resolve it constructively to deal with it successfully and avoid escalating tensions among the other staff members.
Here is how teachers can deal with workplace competition.
Identify the Root of this Undesired Competitiveness
It’s critical to understand the root reason for one’s own or other people’s conduct before taking action. It is crucial that the other party acknowledges the problem and accepts responsibility for any mistakes they may have made or the rationale behind their actions. The only way to achieve a possible conclusion, however, is through reaching an understanding with one another; merely identifying the issue’s source and accepting it will not be sufficient. Uneven workloads, a lack of collaboration and cooperation, envy stemming from not feeling valued enough, conflicts in the past, or any/some of the other party’s actions or remarks may also be to blame for such behavior.
Communicate Clearly and Directly
In the majority of cases, if the concerns or underlying difficulties are brought up and discussed in an open-minded and straightforward manner, this sort of competition can be quickly terminated and transformed back into a healthy one. A problem may be resolved, and it may assist both parties to appreciate the viewpoints of others if communication is conducted in the proper manner without any personal or professional assaults. When handled appropriately, those engaged in the circumstance may even develop a relationship or at the very least behave in a civilized manner when competing.
Maintain a Healthy Distance
It is common to note that the opposing party loses interest when one ceases interacting with them needlessly when one is in a position where one can no longer reason with or communicate with them. In these situations, one might begin to keep a distance from the other side. Keep a professional demeanor going forward and attempt to only get in touch with them if you truly need their help, direction, support, or insight for a work-related matter.
Objecting when/if the Situation start’s to get OUT of Hand
It is crucial to stop engaging with the other person when one realizes that their actions and behavior are out of control and that one is unable to respond to them without making the situation worse. Instead, one should report this behavior to a higher authority and request a senior teacher’s help so that it can be addressed, as students either directly or indirectly learn a lot from teachers’ work and behaviors. Such behavior may give them the wrong impression. It is OK for people to disagree and compete with one another, but it is essential to realize that these interactions should not escalate to the point where they put others or oneself under unnecessary mental or emotional strain. This undermines productivity and rates the seniors as well.
Compete With Yourself
To compare one’s accomplishments to those of others is pointless. It leads to a variety of concerns, including self-doubt, harsh self-analysis, self-pity, stress, character analysis, self-deprecation, obsessive behavior, increased aggression, and many more. Sometimes, even when one is able to do more than the competitor, it is seen that this does not necessarily lead to a sense of fulfillment and leaves the individual unsure of what their next objective should be until they find someone else to compete against. A person’s personal progress may occasionally be hampered by such behavior, which is not helpful in the long run. Setting goals and challenging yourself to achieve them is preferable to competing with others. The sense of growth one gets from competing with oneself both personally and professionally, together with the satisfaction of accomplishment it brings, helps to reduce stress and inspires one to become a better person. This helps to reduce the focus from workplace competition as well.
Finding Ways to Relieve Stress
In the classroom, dealing with students and doing other crucial responsibilities may be quite scary and stressful. One can come up with original strategies to make the classroom more enjoyable for the teachers and students in order to handle this tension. For a more enjoyable and less stressful learning experience for both the teachers and the students, the classroom teachers might incorporate games or activities that they or the students find enjoyable.
Final Thought
Even without unhealthy rivalry, a teaching job can be stressful, so adding it won’t help. When there is healthy competition, one must approach it as a sport to fulfill their objectives and compete against themselves rather than focusing on the other person’s successes. At Classplus, we assist educators in identifying original and innovative means of achieving their objectives and relieving stress from their daily lives. Get your own app and create an online brand of your own.
