The Comparing Trap

A very short and satisfying article from The Harvard Business Review.

"Comparing is a trap that permeates our lives, especially if we're high-need-for-achievement professionals. No matter how successful we are and how many goals we achieve, this trap causes us to recalibrate our accomplishments and reset the bar for how we define success."

The author, Thomas J. DeLong, is the Philip J. Stomberg Professor of Management Practice in the Organizational Behavior area at Harvard Business School and the author of Flying Without a Net. His research focuses on the challenges facing individuals and organizations in the process of change.
Copyright © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing.

Thanks to Douglas Reid of the Queen's University School of Business for the lead. Here's a poignant section of his review: "Measure if you must, but not against others. Invidious comparisons rot the soul and make us feel (wrongly) unworthy."

Here's the link:

The Comparing Trap - Thomas J. DeLong - HBS Faculty - Harvard Business Review: