Rol,
Thanks for your reponse. It is interesting that you recognize this range
in your hiring practices. I think there is more to this than we have
identified.
There is another range of attitude and behavior which impacts the
competitive/cooperative scale. And that is to what extent a person
demands to be in control.
I know some aggressive people, whom people view as competitive, but in
reality they are control oriented persons. They want to exclude people
from decisions and influence. They aren't passive or cooperative, just
restrictive in an aggressive sense. They want to impose their view upon
situations, and assertively do so. They are not competitive in the
positive sense that you represent in your hiring practices.
At the other end of the scale is the passive aggressive person who on the
surface seems cooperative, but in reality they are merely acquiescing in
order to avoid conflict. But they will not take initiative except to veto
initiatives which require change. Their veto comes in the form of
resistance and inaction. It is their way of controlling outcomes. They
may drag their feet, talk negatively or even slanderously in private and
ultimately create the opportunity for failure. I'd rather deal with the
aggressive control freak than this type of person.
Finally, the question for me is how to develop young people who are
competitive, yet who value and practice cooperation. People come to
organizations with the above attitudes and behaviors. I think we have to
provide ways for young people to learn to understand that through
cooperation and collaboration that their hopes and goals have a greater
chance of being met, and that greater things can be achieved than even
they can imagine?
Thanks again,
Ed Brenegar
Leadership Resources
828/693-0720 Voice/Fax
edb3@msn.com
--"Ed Brenegar" <edb3@msn.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>