People Despise Their Unselfish Co-Workers

Source Article: (Wired, 25 August 2010)

Helpful and unselfish co-workers are the least popular people in the office. In a recent study, participants reported that the unselfish player made them look bad.
Our View: Improving team performance is a constant issue for managers. In a team-oriented environment, employers must pair individual employee awards with collective team recognition to effectively motivate teams, while carefully navigating the delicate team dynamic. We advise managers to encourage team members to recognize each other for a job well done. Ask the team to focus on an array of values and attributes (feel free to borrow from our core values), not just others’ spirit of generosity. After all, plenty of high-performers are selfish with their time.
How We Can Help: Revisit our advice on Choosing the Right Approach to Employee Recognition.