24 Apr 2018 Are You A Better Winner Or Loser?

Are You A Better Winner Or Loser?

In sports I was highly competitive.  I always wanted to win.  I could not just enjoy participating.  I could not understand how anyone on the team was not giving everything they had to win. If we did win, I was very gracious. There was no gloating or taunting. I just enjoyed the victory.   Now if we lost, I was not happy.  I was not a poor sport to the other team.  I would congratulate them on the win, but inside I was seething. I hated to see teammates laughing after a loss.  How could they be in a good mood after losing?  How can you just enjoy playing something? I found out I hated to lose more than I liked to win. 

It took me a very long time to learn to participate in a sport just for the fun of it.  I am still competitive and want to win, but the losses are not devasting anymore.  I admit I still get annoyed if someone is not trying hard when on a team.  It is something I struggle with and work to improve.  

It is ok to just participate when you are having fun in a recreational sport.   However, if the competition is at work then that is a different matter.  Here wins and losses have greater consequences.  If you don’t beat the competition it may mean a loss of jobs.  Giving all you got is imperative.  One must be a good teammate and that includes encouraging and helping others.  However, this time the stakes are higher and poor performers or slackers cannot be tolerated. They still need to be treated with respect and given opportunities through training and counseling to improve.  If improvement is not shown, then they need to be replaced.  If replacement is required, how you do that is also critical.  It can’t be made personal, it is just a business decision even though it is very personal to the person being replaced.  There is only losing here to them so do it so dignity is retained.

If you win the business competition, great.  Celebrate the victory at an appropriate level for the business won.  If you lost, find lessons learned and keep it professional. No finger pointing or complaining. You lost as a team.

I love sport and competition.  I can handle losing a lot better today.  I don’t like it, but I don’t get as down as in my youth.  Sometimes it can be just for fun.