When Colleagues Compete: 8 Tips for Turning Rivalry into Collaboration

Workplace rivalries can sneak up on you. One minute you’re swapping tea break gossip, the next you’re mentally keeping score of whose idea got the boss’s nod. A little competition isn’t a bad thing – it can keep you motivated and, on your toes – but if left unchecked, it can quietly poison team spirit. The good news? Rivalry can be redirected into something far more useful: genuine collaboration that benefits everyone (yes, even you). Here’s how to turn that subtle tension into something productive, without resorting to forced “trust falls” or pretending you’re best friends overnight.

1. Find the “shared win”

One of the quickest ways to defuse unhealthy rivalry is to create a goal that makes you both look good. This isn’t just about slapping both names on a project; it’s about finding an outcome that benefits your team or organisation more than it benefits either of you individually.

For example, if you’re both going for the biggest client pitch, suggest splitting the prep: one of you handles creative ideas, the other shapes the presentation. If the pitch lands, you both get to bask in the glow – and your boss sees you as a team player who can also deliver results. It’s not about dimming your light; it’s about widening the spotlight, so everyone stands in it.

2. Tap into your differences

Rivals often have strengths that irritate us simply because they highlight where we’re less confident. But those differences are exactly what make collaboration so powerful.

• If they’re the spreadsheet wizard and you’re more of a creative big-picture thinker, split tasks accordingly so you both play to your strengths.

• Instead of bristling when your colleague outshines you, pay attention to how they’re doing it. Treat their strengths as a free training course.
• You can even go one step further and ask them to show you their process – it takes confidence to say, “That was brilliant, can you walk me through it?” and, ironically, this sort of vulnerability often builds mutual respect.

The key is to treat your differences as puzzle pieces rather than opposing forces.

3. Create safe, structured overlaps

You don’t need to throw yourself into a full-blown joint project to build collaboration – start with small, low-risk touchpoints.

• Volunteer to co-present at a meeting.
• Swap feedback on a single deliverable.
• Sit together for a 20-minute planning session before a key deadline.

These “controlled collaborations” allow you to practise working together without risking an all-out personality clash on something high stakes.

4. Practise “credit generosity”

One surefire way to shift the tone is to start giving credit freely and publicly.

• Mention their contribution in meetings without being prompted.
• Highlight a success they had when talking to a manager.

At first, it may feel like you’re handing them the advantage. In reality, you’re signalling confidence in your own abilities and creating a culture where credit is shared rather than fought over. This disarms defensiveness and makes reciprocity more likely.

5. Play the long game

Rivalries can make people think in “win or lose” mode, but careers aren’t one-off matches – they’re seasons. If your competitor beats you on a project this month, there’ll be others. Maintaining a civil, even warm, relationship makes it far more likely they’ll think of you when an opportunity comes up where they can’t (or don’t want to) take the lead.

6. Swap hats

A lot of workplace rivalry comes from assuming you understand the other person’s motivations. You probably don’t. Try asking yourself: What would make them feel secure? Valued? Successful?

• Take opportunities to ask about their priorities and challenges (without interrogation mode).
• If appropriate, share some of your own constraints – mutual vulnerability has a funny way of softening sharp edges.

If they’re aiming for every high-profile task, maybe it’s because they feel they need visibility to be considered for promotion. If you know this, you can figure out ways to support their needs without compromising your own – and they might just return the favour.

7. Agree the ‘rules of engagement’

When rivalry turns messy, it’s often because nobody’s agreed on what “fair play” looks like. Without turning it into a formal negotiation, it’s worth having a quick, honest chat about boundaries. For example, how you share credit, divide leads, or handle overlapping tasks.

This sort of conversation can be awkward at first, but it’s far less painful than simmering resentment. And it sets you up to compete in ways that stretch both of you without snapping the relationship.

8. Keep your boundaries intact

Collaboration doesn’t mean dissolving your professional identity. You can work closely with someone without becoming overly entangled or sacrificing your own goals.

• Protect time for solo work to avoid feeling overshadowed.
• Continue developing your own expertise, so collaboration is a choice, not a dependency.

Healthy boundaries ensure collaboration feels like a mutual strategy, not a forced truce.

Final thoughts

Rivalries have energy, and energy is a valuable commodity at work. You can either let it fester into stress and subtle sabotage, or you can channel it into shared success. By consciously shifting your focus, finding complementary strengths, and creating small, structured opportunities to work together, you might find your “competition” turns into one of your most reliable allies. After all, it’s a lot easier to climb when someone else is boosting you up rather than trying to pull you down.