The sprinter, the wrestler, the gymnast — if your business is full of these athletic types, it may not be just because the shop's TV is tuned to the Olympics.

These first-place, focused types, along with the saboteur and the pole vaulter, were identified as the most common competitors of the increasingly competitive workplace, by a recent OfficeTeam survey.

Almost half (46 percent) of senior executives interviewed said they believe employees are more competitive with each other today than they were 10 years ago. And while anyone who's grabbed the coveted employee of the month honors or won a sales goal challenge knows that a little bit of competition juice at work can be a good thing, too much of it can spill over into a toxic, tense environment.

"A bit of healthy competition among staff can increase motivation and productivity, but, just as in sports, the overall results of the team are what count," says Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Too much intramural competition creates tension and stands in the way of collaboration."

As the coach, you've got to harness the drive of sprinters, the strength of wrestlers and the flexibility of gymnasts without exhausting yourself and burning out everyone in the process.

Try this:

• Don't pit employees against one another every time you do a sales drive. Encourage designers and sales associates to partner or create department teams.

• Reward employees for feats beyond sales and speed — quality counts too — and encourage employees to nominate one another other for most improved player, savviest blogger, most likely to volunteer and other immeasurable winning traits.

Source: SAF