Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, once said: Comparison is the thief of joy. This happiness is perfect for the topic we are going to talk about here: how to stop comparing yourself to coworkers
Excessive comparison in the workplace not only steals our joy, but can also put our jobs at risk by focusing more on what others are doing instead of focusing on how to be the best version of ourselves. Let’s see how harmful it is and how to avoid it.
No matter how hard we try to be equal to others, it simply is not possible. Just because someone is more successful than us doing something in a certain situation does not mean that, if we imitate them, we will achieve the same results. This is especially so if the way he or she does things is extremely uncomfortable for us when we try. That person has his own effective way of doing things, particular and unique, so it doesn’t have to work for us
Comparing ourselves with coworkers excessively and all the time is extremely detrimental to our work performance. Doing so means losing time, energy and sanity by obsessing over trying to be who we really are not. It is true that we have to try to learn from others to improve, but focusing on what they do and what they do not do instead of getting down to work and developing ourselves as people is extremely dysfunctional behavior.
Fortunately, there are healthy ways to stop constantly comparing yourself to your co-workers and, thus, be able to progress in your professional career with less stress and anxiety But, first, we must be aware of the main pitfalls of comparison in the workplace.
Comparison is like quicksand: the harder you struggle, the deeper you sink. It is essential what the main comparison traps are in the workplace to know which one we have fallen into, and how by being aware of it we can free ourselves.
1. Talent
Don’t compare your talent with that of others. It is essential to understand that each one is unique, and as such has unique qualities. You can’t do the same thing everyone else does, nor can they do the same thing you do Diversity in talents and skills is what makes companies and societies exist, because if we could all do everything, they would have no reason to exist.
2. Time in the company
It takes each person their own time to achieve success and skills. Some people discover their true callings later than others We should not compare ourselves with those who have been working in the company for decades or with someone who has just started and has already surpassed us in success. We all go at our own pace, there are those who achieve things before others.
3. Available resources
On many occasions, to achieve our professional goal we need financial resources These resources are used to pay for training, complete a training program or start a new business. We should not be discouraged by seeing that we do not have the same resources as other people or their economic stability. Although money helps to achieve it, not having it should not be seen as an inalienable obstacle to achieving our dreams and professional goals, it will simply require a little more time and effort, but if we are constant, sooner or later we will see results.
4. Life history
Some people have a fascinating life story , a life trajectory that when you listen to it sounds inspiring, almost like a movie. Others, on the other hand, have lives that seem more normal and, when listening to the lives of the first, they may feel self-conscious about not having such apparently interesting lives. Whatever your life story, there is no doubt that it is what has led you to be where you are today. Value it.
Comparing ourselves excessively with coworkers is a great drag on our work performance for various reasons, among which we highlight the following.
1. It wastes your time
Thinking all the time about what others are doing is a huge waste of time. What if instead of wasting time comparing ourselves to others, we took advantage of it to do something productive? We can use that time to do training, evaluate our performance and work progress, improve an area that we need to improve…
2. Creates a toxic environment
Envy is unhealthy, and in the office it is even more so. Comparing ourselves excessively with our coworkers can contribute to creating a toxic environment, in which that there is resentment among employees and even towards the leader or head of the section Rancor and resentment among workers damages job performance, work ethic, and trust.
3. Decreases your self-esteem
You will hardly feel better after comparing yourself to someone who, apparently, is better at everything Even if you use comparison to try to feel better, this type of behavior is usually based on insecurity, on the pathological need to find fault in others. What if instead of looking for weaknesses in others, you look for a way to value your own merits and strengths?
You may be interested: “Do you really know what self-esteem is?”
What can you do to stop comparing yourself to other employees?
It sounds easy to say “stop comparing yourself to your coworkers,” but naturally it is more complicated to put it into practice. Comparison in the workplace is a bad habit, and as such it is difficult to get rid of, just like smoking or procrastinating. But, even so, it is possible and below we will see two key points to achieve it:
Evaluate your performance, not that of others
It’s very important to keep this in mind: the only person that matters that you should compare yourself to is your past self If you see that you start to compare yourself to others, try to break that toxic spiral by putting the focus on yourself. Are you working better than you did last week? Have you learned something new lately? Are you more skilled than a month ago?
If the answer is “yes” to all of these questions, then you are making progress. It is with your self that you must compare yourself and see if you are really better or worse than before.
Keep your vision in mind
A clear vision of who you want to be and where you want to be will motivate you to move forward. If the case is that you have never defined what your work vision is, now is a good time to do so. Stop paying attention for a moment to current problems, setbacks and failures and focus on where you want to go Try to maintain and keep your vision in mind, getting closer to the final goal step by step each day. By doing this, the need to compare yourself to others will fade as you get closer to your dream.
Is there anything good about comparing yourself to others?
As a final point, we would like to say that Not every comparison in the workplace is bad, as long as it helps us learn to be better workers and develop as people If done in a healthy way, without envy or toxicities involved, comparing the skills and knowledge of others with our own can help us grow and achieve our work goals.
To prevent the comparison from becoming toxic, it is very important to keep in mind the previously mentioned idea: that we cannot be exactly like others. Understanding this, we can improve as much as possible, without obsessing over trying to be an exact copy of those people we consider extremely successful because, simply, that is not going to be possible.
It is useful to take a look at how others do certain tasks, since that It’s an opportunity to learn from them This is especially important when we are new to the company or project and we do not know very well how the tasks should be done. Before putting into practice our own way of doing things, it is key to understand how the basic processes occur in the organization and how things have to be done in the most appropriate way.
