The Corporate Conundrum: When Competition and Change Kill Productivity

Corporate life is often painted as a battlefield—where only the strongest survive, the

smartest rise, and the weak are left behind to update yet another pointless spreadsheet. 

On paper, competition drives innovation, change keeps businesses agile, and new leadership

brings fresh ideas. But in reality, what we often get is an environment of backstabbing,

performative decision-making, and productivity-sapping nonsense that exists solely to make

the new guy look good.

Welcome to The Corporate Conundrum—where change isn’t always for the better, and

competition doesn’t always bring out the best.

The Cutthroat Circus

There is an unspoken rule in the corporate world: You’re not just doing a job—you’re

performing. Every project, every email, every conversation is a subtle (or not-so-subtle)

attempt to prove that you’re an asset, that you deserve your salary, and that you’re better

than the next person gunning for the same promotion.

On paper, competition is meant to be a good thing. It should drive innovation, push people

to be their best and keep businesses moving forward. But what actually happens? 

People hoard information to stay ahead, they take credit for things they didn’t do, and they

sabotage others to climb the ladder. Instead of working together towards actual progress,

employees work against each other in a desperate attempt to stand out. It’s survival of the

fittest, but instead of sharpening skills, people sharpen their elbows.  

And then, just when things are running somewhat smoothly, a new manager arrives.

The New Boss Syndrome

Ah, the arrival of the new corporate messiah. The fresh-faced, eager-eyed leader ready to

“shake things up.” Never mind the fact that things might be working just fine—they need to

make their mark. After all, in corporate, a manager who merely maintains success is seen as

doing nothing at all. They have to be seen making changes, even if those changes add

absolutely no value.

And so, the unnecessary tick-box revolution begins.

Suddenly, there are new systems, new reports, new check-ins, new acronyms no one

understands, and new “exciting” changes that somehow result in more work for everyone

except the person implementing them. 

Teams that were once productive are now buried in administrative sludge. Meetings about efficiency become so frequent that no one has time to be efficient. People spend more time updating progress trackers than actually making progress.

The irony? All of this is done in the name of “growth” and “productivity,” but it achieves the

exact opposite. Employees are exhausted, frustrated, and demotivated because their actual

work—the thing they were hired to do—has been hijacked by corporate theatre.

The On-the-Ground Sufferers

Let’s be honest: The people making these changes aren’t the ones feeling their effects. 

It’s the on-the-ground employees who suffer. The people who are actually doing the

work—delivering the service, making the product, handling the clients—are the ones whose

plates are now overflowing with unnecessary admin.

Where they once spent their time being effective, they now spend their time proving that

they are being effective. Reports about productivity are now more important than actual

productivity.

And the worst part? Once the new manager has sufficiently “made their mark,” they move

on to the next challenge, leaving behind a tangled mess of pointless processes that no one

can reverse—because you can’t be seen undoing change. 

And so, the cycle continues.

The Solution? Common Sense (But That’s Asking Too Much)

So how do we fix this? Simple:

Competition should be healthy, not toxic. Encourage teamwork over individual

showboating. Reward actual contribution, not just self-promotion.

Change should serve a purpose, not a reputation. If something isn’t broken, don’t “fix” it just

to prove you’re doing something.

Listen to the people actually doing the work. Before implementing new systems or

processes, ask those affected whether it’s useful or just another corporate headache.

Success isn’t always about change. Sometimes, maintaining and fine-tuning a working

system is more valuable than forcing unnecessary reinvention.

But will this happen? Probably not.

Because in the corporate world, perception is reality and looking like you’re making an impact is often more important than actually making one.

And that, my friends, is the Corporate Conundrum.