RECD: April 2025B

Background

This is a pilot of an experimental manipulation of global CWV.

HIGH CWV CONDITION:

Think back to a time when you had to look out for yourself because no one else would.

This should be a moment where you saw others as competitors—maybe even threats—where trusting them could have cost you, and where getting ahead meant thinking strategically, keeping your guard up, and sometimes doing what it took to win, even if it wasn’t fair to others. Maybe it was in school, at work, or even in a social situation. Think of a time that felt cut-throat—like a jungle where only the strongest survived.
In a few sentences, describe what happened and how you acted. Be sure to tell us: How did your competitive approach help you succeed or avoid failure?

LOW CWV CONDITION:

Think back to a time when you and others succeeded because you trusted each other and worked together.

This should be a moment where people had each other’s backs—where you could rely on others and they could rely on you, and where success wasn’t about winning alone but about lifting each other up. Maybe it was in a group project, a team, or a relationship. Think of a time that felt like a shared effort—where empathy, fairness, and trust led to something good.

In a few sentences, describe what happened and how you acted. Be sure to tell us: How did your cooperative approach help you and others succeed?

Post-manipulation, measures were shown in the following order: (1) CWV; (2) randomized: relationship expectancies of dominance AND influence expectancies of dominance; (3) self-reported hypothetical dominance; and (4) relationship concerns.

Eligibility

Let’s see who passed the attention check

is_elg	N	Perc
0	9	2.98
1	293	97.02

That gives us a total of 293 eligible participants.

Demographics

Race

race	N	Perc
asian	22	7.51
black	39	13.31
hispanic	15	5.12
multiracial	6	2.05
white	209	71.33
NA	2	0.68

Gender

gender	N	Perc
man	141	48.12
woman	151	51.54
NA	1	0.34

Age

age_mean	age_sd
36.73793	9.849751

Education

edu	N	Perc
GED	60	20.48
2yearColl	36	12.29
4yearColl	145	49.49
MA	38	12.97
PHD	14	4.78

Income

Measures

Open responses

cond	desc
high	I was working at a restaurant and wanted a promotion. There was a location closer to my house and i wanted that job. I was able to get it by going to that location and then showing how i can cut costs using less labor. I was able to get the job and make that store profitable
high	I had to complete a deliverable for a work project. Various team members were also submitting their own deliverables for the same thing. Promotion discussions were coming up, so there was a lot of competitiveness around this. I think the competitive approach added a sense of urgency and necessity to the work that probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In the end it helped me be successful
low	My friends and I are super collaborative and support each other a lot. It’s pretty frequent that I help my friends out with things like resumes and cover letters because I like writing and editing those things, and in exchange we do things like share information and goals in life and opportunities we’re aware of. This is really great for us because we all end up moving forward together! It feels really great to help each other like that, I’m always really proud when my friends get jobs or other opportunities when I helped them out with their writing.
high	I refused to become friends with certain people at work who I knew would talk bad about other people to the managers. I was still civil with them but whenever they would ask to hang out I would refuse.
low	I acted with what I feel is leadership, I delegated tasks and kept everyone on a schedule by being firm but fair leading to the project being completed early, under budget, and with a higher quality score than anticipated.
high	Whenever I played singles tennis in school I had to look out for my self. I had to make sure I looked out for myself and that I played my best.
low	We recently had a special project at work and no one could decide on how to handle it. We all decided to assign each part to individuals by pulling names out of a hat then parts of the project. This led to a fair assignment. It was then on us to work with each other to trade or share ideas if someone had a part we had already had thoughts or ideas on. It led to a collaboration we had dreamed of. Each person worked together better knowing there was no favoritism and all goals were the same. To succeed in their part and the part of their co-worker.
low	I was in a monogamous relationship that was stagnating. My partner and I decided to become non-monogamous, after a long conversation about the dynamics of it, about jealousy, about communication. We cooperated, bringing in other partners, to successfully save our relationship.
high	Unfortunately, at work I experience this frequently. The environment at my job right now is pretty toxic, and there’s other employees who actually treat me with unkind attitudes and gossip about me when I’m just trying to do my job. I feel like I have to keep my head down and continue to work anyways, that’s the way I get through it. I just focus on myself. I wish that everyone could do that and not make it their business to scrutinize me or other employees.
low	I was working on a group project in a chemistry class. The group consisted of three students. We collaborated regularly and agreed to complete specific aspects of the project independently. We were able to complete the project in a timely manner, which was catalyzed the accountability for cooperation.
low	Thinking back to a time when I trusted others was when I was planning my friends baby shower. This wasn’t a work related event. This was my best friends baby shower that I was hosting along side her other friends. I was the main planner but had help from other friends. I had to be trusting with these friends with very important things. Such as, confirming the event space, the food, everyone who’s going to be there. We wanted it to be perfect for our friend so we all had to trust in each other
high	I was recently working for an AI evaluation company, that uses automated internal reviews. I had to walk on eggshells the entire time to make sure I did not lose my job because the algorithm is so sloppy. Competition was fierce and they were looking for any reason to get rid of us / replace us. I kept my head down and made sure not to draw attention to myself. Ultimately this failed, as I was fired and replaced by algorithm as well.
low	In my line of work we can often be extremely busy on duty week when all the new arrets and warrants are coming in. There are times when we cannot complete our own work so we have to reach out to one another. One day there were 30 people arrested and over 20 warrants that came in. Instead of the one person assigned for that day completing all the work, we all jumped in and split up the work load so that one person wasnt overwheled.
low	One of my classes finals was a group project. We only had a couple classes and one teams meeting to prep. The prep times were a bit clunky, but at the actual final our group scored the highest out of the class. Mostly it just seemed like we knew how to play to each others strengths without having worked together all that much.
low	At work we found out we were getting mattresses delivered early and the old ones all had to be moved out. I had to get all the staff to quickly work together whether it was in their job description or not and because we all worked together we were able to get the job done on time smoothly.
high	To be honest that’s how my life is currently feeling. I know that if I do not take care of myself then nobody else will and to be honest, why would they? I’m nobody else’s responsibility but my own. So that being said, I have been busting my but to make sure I survive. I have a full time job and I do these surveys to help make ends meet. I’m currently trying to also find a part time weekend job. I’ve been barely scrapping by since I kicked my ex out 3 years ago but I am still here and I’m still kicking.
low	In college we had a massive all semester long single group project. It included 4 of us, and together we had to write a 20 page lab report. Through out the semester we each did different tasks. I conducted experiments, another collected data, another did the photographs, and another wrote a small summary for the day what we did. At the end of the semester we shared everything collected into a google document and worked on it at the same time. One including photos to each paragraph one of us wrote, as well as references, and the other of us being responsible for different sections. We got a perfect A at the end of the semester for working together.
high	At work during the Christmas season last year. We have competitions at work and sometimes employees seek guidance or help from others during it. I avoided giving answers and helping people out so I could win and be at my best. I feel like people I work with some times lack self guidance and cannot figure things out for themselves. I for one pay attention to all the information that is given to me and take notes. This is one of the rare times I look out for myself and avoid helping others so I can win the completion. It helped me a lot not having to focus on being a team player or sharing things with everyone else. Being able to just look after my self is relieving sometimes as to I’m not having to guide others around me.
low	I played for my school’s tennis team in college and because tennis is inherently an individual sport, there was a lot of competitiveness between teammates for lineup spots and etc. But when I was captain, I made sure to initiate a lot of team bonding events and instilled a team first mentality, making the whole team closer and more supportive of one another, leading to better team results and a stronger support system.
high	Recently, my job presented an opportunity to teach a new class. Several teachers wanted this course. I did too. My colleagues are usually not seen as competitors or threats, but they were in this case because I really wanted to get this course. I had to plan out what to say to my supervisor so that I could present myself as the best candidate for this role. Trusting my colleagues by discussing this with them was not an option as I did not want them to know how I was approaching this situation. I succeeded in getting the course, so my competitive approach worked.
low	My partner and I succeeded in communicating calmly and effectively. We utilized skills learned in couples therapy and successfully thwarted unnecessary conflict.
high	Having the feeling of needing to compete with others actually helped me more in working much harder than I normally would so that I can overcome everyone else around me. Everyone else was working hard to show their worth, so I would need to set up my game to show everyone else that I was a better candidate than the rest.
low	my team at work always has each others backs. a specific example is when our system of record was being updated. the IT partners involved didn’t understand what we needed, but as a group we all shared our needs and agreed with one another. our working together and being on the same page helped us attain the system requirements needed.
high	When working on a job site by myself it was necessary for me to look out for myself. I had to act confidently to make sure I was taken seriously even though I was fairly new and young.
high	At my last job there was a new position created that I wanted to apply for, and so did a lot of my coworkers. I was determined to get the position so I continued working hard and during the inhouse interview I shone the spotlight on myself and highlighted everything I brought to the table as an employee. It helped me succeed in getting the job.
high	Well I had a job at a molding company once and I got hired on as a temp. There have been people working there for 10 plus years and when I came in I pushed myself to do 100% at least on every machine. And by my first week there the managers told me well your work level is close to an employee that had been here almost a decade. So in turn I ended up hiring me on which they don’t usually do and they decided to train me as a technician for the machines which I was considered over people that have been there for years and years.
high	When I got into nursing school it was clear from day one that my fellow classmates were closed off or cliqish with other students. The curriculum was brutal and so was the time commitment. I was a single mother of 3 at that time and was working full time while attending school full time. I had to bring out a side of me that was not remotely natural for me and it was the hardest time in my life. I had to deal with a dog-eat-dog environment in nursing school where even the instructors seemed hell bent on failing as many students as possible as quickly as possible, and these instructors often resorted to public humiliating of fellow students. I had to put my head down, work my butt off, and try my best to ignore or diffuse the drama that was surrounding me. It did help me to get through school, but I will NEVER put myself into an environment like that again.
high	i was assigned to a project with a colleague, however my colleague was too busy to assist me with the project, so when i finished it, i made sure to mention to my manager that i did all of the work myself, as that was the truth. this allowed my manager to understand the effort that i had applied to this project
high	When I worked in retail as a cashier, I had to use my competitive edge to secure a promotion and higher pay. Our general manager told 9 cashiers that only one of us would be selected to move onto the manager track and that his decision would be based on our speed at the register, credit card applications secured, and other data like attendance. I really wanted the promotion and felt that I was the best qualified, so I made sure to position myself at the closest register to the line so that I got most of the customers and increased my chances of success. I also picked up extra shifts and offered to come in early or stay late in order to show how dedicated I was to the company. In the end, it paid off and I was put on the managerial track.
low	Recently we found an issue with some data sets in our warehouse and each person collaborated and stepped up to fix the issue. There are a lot of things I don’t handle myself and I have to trust others know what to do. We were able to resolve the issue, each person working independently on their part and simply updating the team every few hours until the final moment when we realized it was all good and we then were able to notify the community that our datasets were clean and accurate again. It felt very smooth and low stress despite the high visibility of the problem.
low	My final college year involved a group capstone project with three peers from design, engineering, and business. While our varied disciplines could have created friction, we proactively fostered trust and transparent communication. We established a norm of valuing all contributions and viewing help-seeking positively. Leveraging our individual strengths for task division, we consistently communicated and offered support when needed. This commitment to mutual reliance and shared goals, rather than individual accolades, resulted in a final product that surpassed what any of us could have accomplished independently. Our successful cooperation was recognized with a faculty award.
low	I consistently work with others at work. One time, we had a data migration project with a tight deadline, where we had to move millions of records from a legacy system to cloud. I was responsible for building the ETL pipelines, and my colleague handled schema validation and error handling. We got last-minute bug threats and scares on our delivery, but we stayed up late and helped each other out. Our director was very pleased with us
high	In college, I was in a group project where some people didn’t do much but still wanted to take credit at the end. I made sure to keep track of everything I did and took the lead on the final part of the project so it was clear who did the work. Being smart about it helped me get a good grade and not get dragged down by others.
high	I had entered a new position with a tech company, and a team of 6 individuals with an open leadership role. It was early mornings, consistent delivery, and follow through that led me to the open management position - and soon I was managing that team.
high	I was working in an extremely male dominated field and myself am an extremely bubbly female. I am not feminine per se, but soft. I am not sure I am exactly competitive, I am honest and hardworking. I did have to approach this job differently though. I really prioritized getting my own work done, but also stepped up and helped others when needed. I didn’t exactly succeed but did earn others respect. I was blunt if they criticized me and if they had the wrong impression I told them. The thing is the strongest didn’t survive they left because this was not a healthy workplace. It wasn’t worth the effort financially or mentally. I loved that job and that’s why people are so willing to put in that effort but it won’t be something you can do forever.
high	I recently joined a wireless carrier company where we get a commission on every sale of a new plan or product. The environment was cut throat as all other sales representatives wanted to grab a customer and sell products to earn more commission. I was new so i didn’t know much about the procedures so initially I was taken advantage of by other sales reps who used to take away customers I initially brought in. However I quickly learned how things work by sitting back and observing how everyone else was working and I started to use the tactics that were being used like building a personal connection with customers so they want to only work with you and standing your ground against other reps. Eventually they started respecting me and realized I couldn’t be taken advantage of anymore.
low	we returned to the office and realized we still had many people out of route. we all agreed to go back out and help them finish by dividing up the work.
high	During my apprenticeship I was in competition with other apprentices for preference on my crew. I made it my goal to work harder and longer than the others and made sure I was always available for on call work to try and stay ahead in the race.
low	I worked on a small team of four and we were tasked with building an onboarding program for a specific set of employees. There were a lot of pieces to it as the program needed to be quite comprehensive, including immediate and ongoing training courses. My colleagues and I discussed and divided the labor between us, trusting that we would support each other when needed by reviewing work or pitching in at difficult points. It was a rewarding experience as we achieved our objective within timelines and got very positive feedback from our leadership. It really strengthened our bond as a team.
high	We were working and always wanted to give it my best. My colleagues never wanted to team up with me so I took it upon me to do it better than them.
high	When I was in school for a professional degree, I had to be very competitive with my classmates. Those students who were at the top of the class has an easier time getting placement into a more prestigious rotation or internship.
low	Generally I stay far away from humans. They’re literally evil demons and from most perspectives they are 100% the wicked actors. There’s a reason most wild life hates or stays away from humans. They give me a bad rep just by being greedy liars. So no I won’t “have anyone’s back” to “succeed”
high	I was preparing for an entrance exam for a college and only 5 top rank were going to be admitted. At that time I felt competitive and wanted to make sure I make the cut. I worked hard to improve myself and made sure that I was better than others. I passed the exam and my competitive behavior helped me.
high	At my film school we were required to “fight” for the right to have the opportunity to direct our films. We had to create pitches and compete in front of the entire faculty and they were the ones that selected the films and who the crew were on each film. There were only a few opportunities, and as a senior I already had the opportunity to direct a film the year prior, and it did well. I knew full-well that if I competed and won, I would have robbed the opportunity to direct from an underclassmen. I did all that I could to win, I didn’t want to lose an opportunity because I chose to be “nice” (which I usually do). I beat all them by a landslide with my pitch due to my skill and experience. Part of the way I justified it to myself is that this whole system of pitching was new (the prior year everyone had the opportunity to direct a film along with working all other crew positions). I really wanted to stick it to the man and show them that it is very unfair to put juniors against seniors in competition, which I proved very easily by blowing them all out of the water. Will things change next time around? We’ll find out.
low	I will just discuss my marriage. I had a traditional marriage where I stayed home with the kids and supported my husband’s career. While he was a good father, at the end of the day, the responsibility for day-to-day activities with our children relied on me. He certainly was capable of working without any help from me, but once he opted to have children, my support in raising them was crucial to his continued career development. Without me, he would not have been able to focus on his career in the same way, he was. It was almost as if he did not have children.
high	I was in my early twenties and had worked in the games at carnival for a few months. If I wanted to have any money to eat and survive that week, I had to convince people to play a game that wasn’t necessarily rigged, but the demonstration showed that it was easier than it actually was. We game had 2 workers and we had to compete with each other to get customers in to play the game. My approach of being dressed nice and having nicer manners seemed to be my edge and it helped me at least get enough money to get through day by day.
high	In a competitive work environment where only a few would succeed and get a bonus I inflated the work I did while discounting the work others did. This did help me get ahead in the ratings.
low	My team was presented with a last minute call from our bosses to present on a certain topic we had been working on. We were still researching and developing our narrative but was asked to present the next day. We divided up the task and each created pieces of the presentation needed. Everyone trusted each other a subject matter expert and focused on their task. in the end, the presentation went well and we were congratulated later
high	My previous coworker got promoted to be my supervisor but regarded me as a competition. I realized he had something against me when he kept laughing at me and purposely made my project hard. I had to guard myself and requested a transfer to another team.
low	My work (at a bank) converted to an entire new banking system. There were several departments involved in the conversion and each department had to rely on the other departments to do their part to make a smooth transition. There were over 50 people responsible for this process. Thankfully, everything worked out great.
high	I was in a meeting at work with high level executives. We were discussing an issue related to the timing of getting information out to clients. The information is distributed from my department, but we cannot move forward until another department completes a coding task. The president was upset that it was taking too long to get information out and asked me what the issue was. I had to identify that it was delays in coding causing the hold up to take the blame off of my department.
high	When in school, there were a limited available spots for DNA research in a local engineering college for the summer. That year I studied, which I normally never did and maintained a good GPA, but for this I needed to be the best, not just ok.
low	Every month I work as a team with sales to make sure our forecasts are as accurate as possible for manufacturing. Without a successful forecast manufacturing would not know how much they need to make 6-12 months out and Supply Chain wouldn’t know how much raw material to order, considering some lead times are 120 days. When we work together we can align on the most accurate forecast as possible.
high	I suppose the best example would be this sales job I had a few years back. It was 9 employees with one manager and one supervisor. It was a cutthroat environment because not only did we work for commission, or because we had quotas we had to reach, but because each customer taken by one person meant one less for someone else. I suppose that competitive approach helped me grow, although at the time it didn’t feel great.
low	Im a firefighter so working as a team is essential to success. We have to have complete trust in one another; trust in our abilities, trust in watching out for one another, trust in not leaving one another.
low	My coworker and I were incredibly understaffed and the amount of work expected of us was obscene. However, students were the ones to benefit from a successful day of nursing simulations. Despite being way overworked and severely under-supported, we banded together, lifted each other up, and made the experiences successful for our students. Our positive attitudes further empowered others working around us to work at their highest capacity also.
low	We had a production line that had to meet a certain quota within two days or we was in danger of losing the contract to a competitor. We decided to work together and help each other to get this done. Everyone helped each other with small tasks when they wasn’t to busy to accomplish this. We took breaks responsibly and worked really hard to meet this quota. Upper management was really happy. The next day they bought us all lunch and gave us a gift card.
high	When I was really into the game Genshin Impact, I was participating in fandom activities like making fanart and writing fanfic. Although my works did well, I also found myself feeling competitive toward the other creators in the fandom, and would regularly measure my numbers against theirs, and feel jealous if they were getting more attention. I think because I always had this underlying resentment and felt like I couldn’t truly be happy for my friends and peers, I eventually burned out and lost my interest in writing, which is ultimately a failure to me, and I wish I could have a better attitude toward them.
low	Cooperating with my wife to raise our son and deal with his T1D. We work together to combat the disease and successfully keep my son from going to high or to low.
high	What comes to mind is standing up for myself against a bully of a boss. My personal life had become a bit challenging and my boss had zero empathy for my situation. Instead of giving me a little more leeway, she demanded even more of me and needled me about details beyond my control. All this while she seemed to go out of her way to make accommodations for a couple of other people. So during yet another round of her calling me into her office to criticize me, I resigned. That likely makes that more self preserving than competitive, but I felt it necessary to rescue myself from the situation.
low	I once went on a camping trip that slowly turned into a disaster. The tent had issues, it started raining, food didn’t go the way we wanted. So we all had to decide what to do. There were some disagreements, but in the end, we all listened and heard each other’s thoughts and ideas as to what to do. In the end, we decided to pack up and go home and have an “indoor” camping night for the rest of the night, and woke up and made an amazing breakfast. It felt really good to come together and make the most of a bummer situation.
low	A few weeks ago, our team collaborated seamlessly to complete a critical project. by supportive each other and sharing responsibility, we enhanced our creativity and efficiency, ultimately achieving a successful outcome that benefited everyone involved.
high	I am not a particularly competitive person and normally don’t work in an aggressive fashion. When I have fought at work, it is typically in defense of others and my behavior is just enabling others to express their opinions and make their voices heard.
low	I worked on a successful group project in college where all group members collaborated well and pitched in according to their own personal strengths. Everyone communicated well so we were able to rely on each other to each do our parts and make sure everything was completed on schedule. The project involved each person reaching out to different schools and interviewing personnel about the school lunches and the impact of food on student learning. Each person’s interviews contributed unique insights that helped create a cohesive presentation on the issues.
low	At my previous workplace, my team and I were assigned a tight-deadline project that required input from multiple departments. instead of working in silos, we supported each other by sharing updates daily, offering help when someoneone was overwhelemd, and making sure no one felt alone in the process. My cooperative approach- staying organized, listening actively, and checking in with teammates- helped build trust and kept us all motivated. In the end, we delivered a solid project on time and celebrated the win as a shared success.
high	At my grandmother’s funeral, everyone was acting selfish and petty, so i also acted this way. I ignored people who I blamed for her death, I yelled at cousins who went on vacation while we waited for the funeral, and I guilt-tripped people who chose a wedding over her funeral. I had to do these things for my own mental peace, even if it wasn’t how i usually treat people or situations. I felt like I had to fight to make sure her wishes were honored before those of selfish family members.
high	When I was in college everyone was so competitive and at first this was challenging for me to figure out how to navigate everthing. Sooner or Later I realized that in order to thrive I would need to push myself and stand out— which began my process of channeling and leaning into my inner competitiveness
high	Typically, when this happens in my life it is work related. I started in a position and needed to show my worth and that they were correct in hiring me. I had previously interviewed for this position and did not get the job. This time around I was hire along side someone else. This particular job tracks data on the amount of tickets that everyone on the team closes. We rotate an operation role between all of the team members where we assign out tickets. During this week you get to choose the tickets that you are going to work. I learned that the job was not reading the data incorrectly and were only tracking data on tickets that you closed. Any ticket that needed to go to another team was not included in your data, even if you do work on the ticket. During the weeks that I can choose my own tickets I specifically take the tickets that I know that I can close. I also take more tickets than my other team members. This gives me an advantage when management looks at my data because I will have a higher ticket count that I closed and gives me the advantage for success.
low	I was a member of a work group that was established to take care of a backlog of unprocessed reports at work. The reports involved calling members of the public who had violated regulations and establishing root cause and finding a corrective action. Each team member was assigned several reports. By everyone being willing to take on the extra workload we completed the reports and got back to the normal level of tasks.
high	There isn’t a specific experience that comes to mind, but I think life in general has been this way. We’re the only ones who can really look out for ourselves at the end of the day. My approach to this helps me succeed, so I don’t fall victim to anyone.
high	Throughout the workforce, I would often have to decide if I wanted to take the hit for my coworkers mistakes. The first few times I would try to cover up their issues or mistakes. However, after a while I decided to defend my own reputation and allow others to take the blame for their mistake. Sometimes it really is about my own good.
low	I was working on a project in college where we collaborated and designed parts to be machined. We worked on cnc machining and it was a very collaborative environment where we all supported each other.
low	back in college, my team and i threw this huge campus fest, we all trusted each other, helped out each other and assigned individual task like the music the catering and all, and just kept things super chill and open. no drama , just team work. we listened had each other backs and made it happen. the event was a hit all because we really worked as one
high	When I started making money at the age of 19, I had to withdraw from them because they saw me as someone who would compete with them. So I had to be on my own.
high	One time when I felt cut-throat or rather felt like I was in a jungle where only the strongest survive will be working at my first job immediately after college. I was new to the cooperate world, as this was my first time working professionally. I was supposed to intern for 3 months and then have a review exam before joining the company. The 3 months there were not splendid. The organization was dominated by whites and even the blacks who worked there were mostly support and maintenance staffs. I felt like I was invading a space I was not meant to be in and I was only chosen out of the other candidates so the company will look good in the media. I had zero support from my supervisor and team at large which always got me sad and teary. I could not wait for the end of the 3 months and I had to leave the firm. The whole situation just kept messing with my mental health and I was not about to continue with that.
low	A cooperative approach to one of my successes was when I trusted my partner to help with a catering job. She and I both had our tasks and while I usually want to do every aspect, I trusted that she would get parts right. She took the lead on beverages and desserts while I did the main food, and it cut the time I had to prep in half and allowed things to come out even better as more attention was given to the things I worked on.
high	When we would have to do work that was performance based and were going to be evaluated on how well we were finishing our task we did not really have anyone having our backs for us. so i would approach it as though i was competing so that i could leave myself in good standing and try to succeed at all challenges presened
high	I remember a time at my previous job, when I used to work retail for 8 years. I was in a management position training with a group of 15 to become the next district visuals manager. In this training, it there was a part that wasn’t exactly a competition, but more of a demonstration to show other leaders in the company what we can do with the product we had, the colors, and the real-state involved. Design the floor as we saw fit with what we had available, a mini floorset. All 15 of us had to choose from the product that these leaders laid out in the middle of the store, and there were not multiples, you could not make requests, only use what were given. I remembered to use my knowledge of previous floorsets and got to work. First I chose a theme and went with Valentine’s Day, I figured that was easy to set since the clothing in the middle of the store had lots of reds and pinks with neutrals. I had 3 walls to work with and dresses some mannequins, displayed the product that the mannequin wore and set marketing with pricing along that. Since I used my knowledge of previous floorsets, and did not let any other distractions come in my way, I was second to finish, even with paying attention to details such as straight hangers, etc. Needless to say, my work was set as an example across the company for the upcoming Valentine’s Day floorset, and I was promoted.
low	Recently my work team and I had a situation where we had too many patrons scheduled and not enough seating to accomodate everyone. We sat down together and brainstormed ideas and we were able to come up with an idea of patio seating. We had never used the back patio for anything but a smoking section. The 4 of us each brought in 1 table and 6 chairs. We cleaned up the back patio and set up the tables with beautiful linens, lanterns and utensils. We successfully were able to seat 24 extra patrons for the event!
low	A time that others and I worked together to achieve a shared goal would be group projects at my university. I can think of many such occasions where my team members took on different parts of a presentation, to allow it to all come together successfully. By being cooperative and collaborating with my colleagues. I was able to work on a part of a presentation that complemented my colleagues work.
low	about couple years ago at my workplace, i was supposed to have finished my work at 12 am in the morning ( overtime) and i went back home and i was on my bed sleeping already, but my co-worker telephoned me asking me to come back due to an unforseen task, so i went back at 1am and helped her finish the job. The job was delivered on time the next day.
high	I could remember a time at work when we went on a picnic in group. Coming back we had a problem with the bus driver that took us there and he had to abandon us on the middle of the trip going home. we had to now individually sort ourselves out. Then I was with a lot of cash in my wallet and I was scared letting people know about it so that I won’t get robbed off the money. At that point I never trusted anybody there because anything can happen if anybody finds out about the cash. so I had remain calm and did as if I was getting ill just to shake off other people’s attention from me. And that was how I was able to sucesfully go home with the money on me.
low	once during a snow storm, the long term care facility i work at faced staffing shortages. we came together to prioritize resident’s safety.everyone stepped a little out of their regular roles. we all communicated calmly and supported each other. trust and teamwork was the motto of the day. it was extra work and shared effort and the only way we could think to get it done.
high	In my business classes where the grades were partially based on those peer-evaluation things, one of the team members began withholding information to make themselves look better. When I realized this, I shifted my strategy: documenting contributions, anticipating gaps left by others, and tactfully taking control of key deliverables. I stopped assuming good faith and started thinking several moves ahead. My competitive approach ensured I got top marks from both the professor and the peers while also protecting my final grade.
high	During USMC boot, there was a particular week during our field training exercise where the instructors deliberately pushed us, both physically and mentally. It was cold, we were sleep-deprived, and out platoon was already fracturing a bit from infighting and distrust. As one of the few females in my unit, I noticed early that if I didn’t assert myself, I’d get trampled over or assigned the grunt tasks without any recognition. I kept my guard up, studied the cadre’s routines, and volunteered for the dirtiest and hardest assignment before anyone ese could even hessite to prove myself. I didn’t wait to be picked, I made myself unavoidable to the higher ups. One day, our rucksack march turned into a navigation test. It was a surprise, they liked to do this often to us to test us, and a lot froze and fumble under the pressure. I lead my fireteam forward using the map and terrain association, refusing to second-guess myself, and eventually through confidence got us to the checkpoint before anyone else arrived. That moment to me solidified my place in the platoon, not just as someone to carry or dismiss, but someone who was capable of carrying others despite my sex. My competitiveness wasn’t arrogance, but was survival for me. Trust had to be earned, and I wasn’t willing to risk failure waiting for anyone to have my back. I truly believe that attitude kept me sharp and propelled me to graduate with honors and continue to further build my career with in the forces.
high	I was working at a store with someone of the same position as me. I knew I was one of the next up for promotion and I believed they were too. At first it was a little intimidating but I decided I wasn’t going to let this person gain an edge on me. I worked more hours and made sure I was more vocal about my accomplishments. I also took initiative and would volunteer for extra assignments to beat my co worker to the punch
low	My team and I worked on a community project to build a local park. Everyone contributed unique skills. Through open communication, empathy and trust, we overcame challenges. by working together, we created a vibrant community space. This fostered a sense of pride and fulfilment.
low	I don’t believe i have ever been in a situation where each member of a group was in it for the team. Usually it is a select couple people in a group that a committed. Those members agree to pick up the slack of the rest of the group to make sure they get the outcome desired by the committed group members. In my experience there is always in-fighting and disagreement at some level due to competing interests.
low	I was the chief compliance officer for a startup fintech registered investment adviser with a staff consisting of one other person and had to go through simultaneous regulatory exams by FINRA and the SEC. There was no way I could handle responding to all of the document requests alone and we had a limited budget for outside counsel support so I had to place a lot of trust in the junior person I supervised and let them run with some things with guidance. By setting up regular checkins and maintaining open lines of communications we made it through that period.
low	It was at time at work. When my coworkers couldn’t figure it out to set up a speaker for our system. So I used the knowledge that I had and helped out. I did my part of the job and we were successful
high	I was given an elevated position at a company installing computers, while still not being a Team Lead. I handled computers that held administrative files. This position allowed me a more leisurely schedule and more down time. Our team leads, who were supposed to already know how to do my part of the job, neglected to keep up their training and forgot how to do it. Rather than teaching them, which would likely have reduced my importance, I kept my process vague and guarded and was less than helpful when they were confused in order to maintain my status.
high	I recall a time when I worked in a factory in a rural area, full of racist people. I did not expect that to be the case as I only wanted a job so I could take care of my family. Another thing I did not know was that they hired people that had been in jail/prison. Upon learning this through conversation and veiled insults/back handed comments, I refused to quit because I had just as much right to be there and work regardless of the things I was subjected to. I followed the rules and did the job to the best of my ability, and I did not let their comments/remarks bother me enough to leave just because they did not want me there. I stood up for myself whenever necessary, to the point I was ready to fight anyone, and when it came close, everyone always backed off. I survived the experience through stubbornness and sheer force of will.
low	I was working on a group project and we had some arguments. But we sat down and talked about it. At last we helped each other and the project ended up being really successful.
high	I attended a competition in Highschool for French, in which I was competing with my peers as well as students from other schools. I felt guilty at first for taking away spots from students I knew, but I decided to treat them all equally. I ended up winning first in several categories, often taking the place from other students in my class. Ignoring my sympathy definitely allowed me to perform at the level I needed to win.
low	A time when myself and others succeeded in a project was when we had to construct a pop up seasonal store. We had to blueprint the store layout. Then construct the framing and walls to build the stores layout. We had a timeframe to complete this project in order to open on time. We all were able to work together to complete this project.
low	I work in a critical IT operations field where there can be an urgent need to fix a system or problem in the middle of the night. Trusting the team to work together under stressful conditions makes for shared experiences and a feeling of truly being part of something larger than yourself.
low	I remember years ago we did a system implementation. Everyone was working very hard to ensure the data we put in was accurate and correct. Instead of working against each other and competing, we were all working toward the common goal to ensure the project was a success and completed on time. The feeling of comraderie and collaboration really helped us to thrive during this difficult time as we were all facing similar obstacles with implementing and cleansing the data.
high	When I divorced my ex-husband in 2016, I had to look out for my own interest and those of my daughters. He was manipulative and outsmarting him was the only way for me to get out, survive and succeed.
high	It was when I tried out for the track team. We were all competing for limited sports. I had to put my head down and be competitive, which got me a string role
high	Have had where I just stay to myself in fear of people hurting me or doing wrong by me and I don’t trust many people so I don’t open up even if someone seems like an ok person I still dont
low	I can access memories of countless instances where collaborative efforts, built on trust and mutual support, led to positive outcomes. however the one that stands out involves a complex data analysis task. individually, the team members possessed unique but limited perspectives on the vast dataset. however, by opnely sharing out interpretations, trusting each other’s insight and patiently working through discrepancies, we collectively unearthed meaningful patterns that none of us could have briliance but about the synergy created by our shared trust and commitment to the collective goal.
low	in my current role, we were recently audited by the state, and my team had to pull records, some of which were from before we even worked there. We all had to work together to locate digital and hard copies of files that we didn’t even know existed, or where they even were, across three different offices. We worked together, communicated efficiently, commiserated often, and were ultimately successful
high	Recently, my boss decided to retire. Although I have been training to be his replacement, a coworker has also decided to apply to be the supervisor of our group. I’m doing everything I can to get an advantage - I need this promotion. Although I respect my coworker, I need to win. By reaching out early to the people in charge, I’m seeking to create goodwill for me, whereas he is largely unknown. I know I have what it takes to do this job; I just need the chance.
high	In general, I am not a very cut-throat person and this isn’t generally the way I respond to stressful situations. That said, I did have a similar situation at a former job. While I liked some of my coworkers, some I felt uncomfortable with and it seemed like they were hostile towards me. It didn’t feel like I could trust them and so I was mostly quiet and standoffish with them, focusing on my work. It felt like I had to keep an attitude of “I’m at work to make money, not friends” or it might affect my work performance and job prospects. Being distant with those individuals did help me to stay competitive with my work and succeed in that position.
high	One time while I was working for a tech start up, profitability started to decline, and business was not going so well. We were overstaffed at my position, and it became obvious that there were going to be layoffs. I decided I wanted to stay, and my competitive approach helped me succeed by making sure I stood out by taking more initiative and volunteering for work than my coworkers.
low	We recently got state legislation passed to benefit our town. I worked with a team that included people from several organizations. It required us to collaborate, build relationships with other stakeholders, be responsive to their needs and respond to criticism / questions effectively. It also required us to be super flexible with out time and attention. Honesty and trust was a big part of the process. We had to make assurances and stick to them, even when challenged. We were ultimately successful.
high	I worked at a very small company that had employees whose were there for a long time. They were very clicky and did not like when knew employees came in. They laughed and thought I would fail, but I came in every day and did my job. I showed them how good I was at it and that even though I wasnt a good fit in their eyes, They would eventually miss my contribution. Then I left.
high	I participated in a “egg hunt” in a local home wares store, where four different gift cards were hidden around the store, and the first person to find it would receive $20, $50, or $100 of in-store credit to use on anything in the store. In order to have the best chance to find one, I got to the store right before it opened, and started searching immediately. Other people in the store were also looking, and although everyone was trying to be discreet about it, we all knew. After careful searching, I finally found a $50 giftcard and was successful.
high	This would be when I was applying for my current job. It was competitive with one other person who was a friend. I studied up on certain aspects of the job and interview skills. I got the job
low	I would say, in highschool i had to write a paper on human biology, i had worked with my class beforehand so i trusted them, I knew i had to take the lead because i was extremely motivated on this subject, i took charge, leading my fellow classmates and setting them up for success. Once the paper was done we all got good grades and they kept thanking me for my hard work, I’ve never felt so proud to be a leader and take charge.
high	A time I can think about when I had to look out for myself was a time at a previous job. My boss at the time had been let go and me and him had a close working relationship. As the new boss came in, I had to be quick to make a good impression because they implied they would be letting some other people go. In that moment, I had to only be concerned with myself.
low	I had a group project in school that required coding. I did not have much experience with programming, but my partner did. During this time I ended up getting food poisoning but my partner was super understanding. We decided to go with our strengths, he was going to program for the project and I was going to do the writing to describe what was going on. Even though I got very sick this plan ended up working out great for us and we ended up with a 95 on the project. Because me and my partner were cooperative and communicated with each other, we were able to figure out the best plan for success even with the obstacles in our way.
high	Ok, my answer might seem a little inappropriate but it’s the truth and the first thing I thought of when I read this. This describes the time when I had warrants out for my arrest with over a half of a million dollars worth of bonds. I left my town and went to Dallas where I didn’t know anyone. All I had was about $10,000. I threw away my ID and anything with my real name on it. It was just me. I had to survive staying in a different hotel every night and getting robbed left and right. I met lots of bad people. I had to do what I had to do not to get caught. Long story short, it only lasted 9 months. I was relieved when I finally got arrested and went to prison.
high	Applying to jobs feltt similar to this. I think that my competitive approach in a job competition setting was helpful in some ways, as it would be counter-productive to try to help my competitors find and apply for the same jobs I wanted. However, trying to help each other could have had murkier longterm networking benefits, of which I have not experienced yet.
high	I wouldn’t consider myself a highly competitive person, but I was in a somewhat similar situation when I moved from my last job to my current. There was a lot of work and I knew that leaving would put more work on others, but I wanted higher pay and more flexibility. I applied to jobs quietly and kept my head down. I didn’t really let anyone know what I was doing. I got a new job within a month or two and left.
low	Back in middle and high school, I was a big participator in the theatre department. There was a show I participated in, The Jungle Book, that was given a small budget in both money and time to rehearse. My castmates and I gave up a lot of free time for a few weeks to hand sew costumes, paint intricate sets and rehearse. This resulted in a tight knit show and amazing reviews of our performance.
low	I worked on a film project as the director and in order to successfully make a film, you need to hire people you trust in different roles. Everyone doing their job to the best if their ability is what led to my project’s success.
low	We had a project upcoming and a new person I did not came to join the group to finish fast. At first the team members were skeptical about how this newbie would be beneficial to the group but as time went on we decided to give him a chance and let him bring out his skill to help the team and we did great and even finished way ahead of time
low	We found out that there was a security concern for ticket purchases on our site. It turned into an all hands on deck situation. Our entire team dropped everything else and turned their focus to that. Everyone did whatever they could to get the situation resolved with no complaints. It was resolved quickly and was great to see everyone work together instead of compete against each other.
low	I am a youth coach, so I often work with others to coach the kids. I really enjoy working with all of the coaches, because it is awesome to see how other people coach the lessons. Recently, I have been working at a school with a large number of kids in the program, and many of the kids don’t cooperate well. However, the other coach and I have been working together (supporting each other, providing reminders to the kids, and brainstorming together). We have been seeing some positive changes in many of the kids behaviors and sessions are much more fun for everyone.
low	I completed a doctorate program 4 years ago. We were put with partners for our thesis. The thesis involved research and was a two year long project. My partner and I had to work together to share the work so we could succeed in this rigorous program. During that time my partner was pregnant and there were times when it involved a lot of trust that her portion would be completed. In the end, we worked together well, trusted each other, had empathy, and took on more of the workload during times one of us could not and had a successful thesis defense.
high	I’m a teacher and there is a woman in my department who is praised but she never does may real teaching. She’d constantly ask me for activities for her classes. I got sick of sharing but I knew the students deserved coherent activities that she wasn’t willing to make. I kept giving her stuff but then I became totally over her behavior and the principals’ praise of her. I stopped giving her work. I made excuses that I didn’t have anything or that I couldn’t find what I used. I succeeded in teaching my classes but I couldn’t be responsible any longer for her classes. I avoided her requests and became happier for myself.
low	At my previous job at a small tech startup in Onitsha, we faced a tight deadline for a major software update. The pressure was intense, and the initial attempt to divide the work completely led to integration issues and delays. Recognizing this, we decided to shift to a more collaborative approach, where developers paired up, shared their screens constantly, and troubleshot problems together. This meant pausing individual tasks to help others, actively listening to different perspectives on coding solutions, and providing constant feedback. This shared responsibility and trust in each other’s expertise ultimately allowed us to identify and fix critical bugs much faster than before, leading to a successful launch just hours before the deadline. Our cooperative method ensured everyone felt supported and contributed their best, turning a potential failure into a collective win for the company.
low	I would have to say when I was in high school and played for the volleyball team. We all depended on each other . We spent every day at practice and became friends. We worked hard to be a competitive team and we supported each other. We challenged each other as well.
high	I had to interview for a position for a company. I realized the people that were in my graduating class, which were my friends, were also applying. I needed to get this job because I wanted to start making money to be able to buy a home, therefore I needed to be the best candidate for this company. The other applicants were not being friendly and everyone was seen as competition to each other. I realized I could not trust any of them anymore. I made sure to research about the company, reach out consistently, and present my best self to the company. I did not speak to any other applicants during my application process. Although I may not have had the best resume, especially compared to the others, I made sure my personality came through and won them over in ways I knew the others couldnt.
low	I led an inaugural impact report created for major donors to my org. This entailed working with my team and the communications and marketing teams to create content and graphics/photos. But, we also had to work with the printers to make sure that the hard copy was of good quality. There were some hiccups, but everyone pitched in and lent their talents to this project. The final report was just gorgeous, and it wouldn’t have happened without my teammate’s area of expertise.
high	I remember in undergrad, some of my pre-med classes felt very cutthroat or competitive since the courses were graded on a curve. Some students would deliberately hide notes or withhold helpful information for exams or homework assignments in the hopes that they would score significantly better than other students in the same class. While the environment felt competitive, I don’t think I partook in it in a negative way or a way that deliberately put other students or “competitors” at a disadvantage. It did inspire me to focus on myself and my efforts though.
high	I am a person who likes to “get along” with others and who could be termed a “people pleaser.” I am not usually “cut throat” nor do I do whatever it takes to win. In my current job, the only way it get work is to jump on available hours quickly and without mercy towards other people. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.
high	I served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell & was paranoid that someone could find out I was gay & then I’d be investigated, busted down rank & receive a Dishonorable Discharge. I felt like I had to keep my secret in order to survive so I did everything longer, faster & better than my fellow soldiers so that people can focus on my duties & not question my sexuality. I even dated men I really wasn’t interested in just to keep my secret.
high	I buttoned up. Isolated myself from my family and even my friends. I didn’t know who I could trust because the threat came from within my family. I didn’t tell almost anyone anything and to be honest, my mental health suffered as a result. Greatly. I still don’t know if it was the right approach, but I can’t imagine doing it any other way would have made me any more safe. With safety being the priority, I suppose I succeeded because I am still here, but it all came at a great cost.
low	I have a friend that is a bondsman and the competition is super aggressive. Myself and a girlfriend got a heads up and went to line up the bond while the bondsman was on her way. We scooped the co-signer right in front of a couple of agents that always hover in Scott County…my bondsman friend trusted that we would accomplish this, so she came the 35 miles before we told her.
high	in my first job it was dog eat dog i couldn’t really on help from my co-workers cuz we were all looking for the same space
low	At work we have to take donations for our non profit cancer foundations. It is incredibly uncomfortable asking guests for donations. We agreed that no matter who the guest was and how intimidated we were that we would ask everytime and attempt to make it within the top 10 of the entire company (over 600 stores). We had to trust that we would all do our part for a greater good, no matter how easy it would be to not ask when no one was watching. We celebrated each other every day and placed 5th in the company for highest dollar donations
high	I was up for a project at work and my co-worker was trying to get to lead the same one. We were both looking to move up in our roles so this project would have been a great stepping stone. my other coworkers were very friendly with them so they were not offering support to me when i asked them what i should do to get assigned the project, i also asked for their ideas but they wouldnt offer anything. I knew i had to get an advantage so i started pointing out little things my coworker was doing that were wrong. Small edits they missed, deadlines that passed that they didnt hit. I would cassually mention all of this to my leader in hopes they would see how they were not fit for the project. eventually i talked to my leader and showed them why i wanted the project and why i was a better fit. they agreed and i recieved the lead role in major development project for the entire country.
high	When a promotion opened up at my job, coworkers became rivals overnight. I stopped sharing ideas, focused on my performance, and let my results speak. While others played dirty, I stayed strategic-and it paid off.
low	A few minutes ago I was on a call in which my team was creating a strategy deck for what our department will do for the following fiscal year. There are a lot of opinions and sidebar conversations. I helped the team stay focused on the big picture. It is leading to good outcomes.
low	When it come to my family and friends I always have there back. Even when I know they might not being doing a good thing I at least help them weigh out the pros and cons.
low	My fiance’s mom found a young cat and took her in. The cat was causing some severe allergies for my mother in-law and she could not keep the cat and we were not looking to take on a pet but said we would help look for a home. My mother in-law was going on a trip and I was going to watch and feed her pets, I noticed she was acting funny so I loaded her up and brought her to muy house where within an hour she went into labor and had 3 kittens. I helped deliver the kittens and it was super amazing, we now have 3 wonderful cats and my mother in-law took the mother cat back about 10 weeks after the kittens were born. The cats all now have really good homes and are super happy because we pulled together and took care of them
high	I approached the situation that left me disabled in a wheelchair with an open mindset. Open to being competitive and trying my very best to heal in a timely manner. I avoided failure by being competitive in my Physical therapy.
high	The time I think back to is when I was applying for jobs recently. I had to be aggressive to make sure that I got the interviews that I needed and I had to make sure that I really put my best self forward. All of the other candidates were competition and I had to be ruthless in order to get my job, even if the other people were really nice.
low	There was short term project, a 2 week project to be precise that extended to 2 months because of client’s constant back and forth with the work and deliverables. We were three people managing the project with 20 other employees. There were times we had to sit till 3 am in the morning to complete the day’s work. It was then our manager stood up to the client to asked for a deadline for the project. He also clearly said that only the work that can be finished in working hours will be delivered and my team will not sit till 3am to complete the work or else they will get sick. That was when we realized that teamwork is important but having support from manager is equally crucial.
low	we had call in and there was only 2 of us for 66 residents we did all our rounds together and it turned out okay
high	My graduate school had an intensely competitive environment. The weird thing was that it didn’t need to be like that – we weren’t in competition for grades, class rankings, or job opportunities, just perhaps the professors’ approval. My strategy was to ignore the competitive attitudes of my peers and just focus on the work. If a professor liked my work/research, then great, but if they didn’t - whatever. I liked my research. By ignoring the competition, I was able to gain the skills and experience I needed to get a good job after graduation.
low	Truck day at one of my jobs requires teamwork and consideration of all involved. My cooperative approach helps others succeed by ensuring that they do not get physically hurt and by ensuring that they can merchandise items for their department efficiently.
low	At GEHC we launched an app. Using a program management approach we were able to cooperatively work. I needed to work horizontally and build relationships
high	It helped me win by not getting upset and wanting others to win. I’m competitive but also competition can make or break situations. I’d rather see both sides win. Win/win situations are what I look for always.
high	I was being over worked and was losing my ability to enjoy my job. Luckily with my union if I work a certain amount of time each week it is a violation of our contract. So I started working slower and taking my time so that they would have to give me less hours.
high	In competitive video games this is always the case. You cannot trust other players and have to look out for yourself. sometimes this means you have to trick others to get them out before you, which sometimes i feel bad about, but not too bad if it means i will win. I had to trick several people into thinking we are a team only to shoot them in the back when given the perfect chance. they were mad at me, but i needed to to win. In the end, I did end up winning.
high	I had a boss that I had when I first started at my job, and then I moved to several other teams not on my own doing, but due to the org restructuring. When I had the opportunity to do a 6 month internship within the company, somehow I got back on her team. When I initially was on her team, I personally had no major problems with her, there small things, but nothing major as opposed to my other coworkers. It wasn’t until I got on her team a second time where I realized the situation I was in. We both were minorities, however she could be seen as “higher” than me on the social ladder. Long story short, she tried to accuse me of call avoidance due to a “pattern of behavior” of me being 15 mins late to my shift one time and then calling off the rest of the week, due to me having the flu. She knew of this, but still wanted to give me a warning that this can lead to written documentation, when I asked her show me where this would constitute as a pattern of behavior, she accused me of being aggressive this was in the height of the George Floyd protests and stated she was uncomfortable. Never once was I angry or having an outburst, I simply was just asking for proof, as I didn’t agree with her observation. It was in that moment, where I realized I had to be smart about how I interacted with certain people at work, and not assume positive intent with anyone in the workspace.
low	Two weeks ago I was part of a workshop where we were split into sub teams and asked to come up with a solution for a particular problem. We worked together on the common goal, each enthusiastic and willing to work together to come up with the solution. It was quite rewarding.
low	I was working on a terminal when I got a call from a coworker who had a family emergency. I told him I needed him to complete my project the following day, as the trip to his site was an hour and forty minutes away. There wasn’t much time to exchange details, and I had to trust that his notes in the maintenance log were clear. When I got to the site, everything went smoothly. His notes were clear and to the point. I also left him notes for my site, but I didn’t start until noon. When my shift started, I called him and he said it was his first job of the day. He did exactly what I needed him to do via the notes I left and was able to close out my call for that site.
high	I think getting my first job after PA school has been a lot like that. With how competitive the job market is, you have to be almost cut throat to stand out.
high	When I was applying for jobs and my connections were not coming through I had to work for myself to get one.
high	When I had my first job out of college, I joined a sales team where everyone was working to achieve a limited promotion. It was a toxic environment, because people would steal leads, undercut deals and some times spread lies to go get ahead. This made me protect my clients, tracked everything and I was one step ahead. I made sure my result were noticed without allowing anyone but me to take credit. The mindset paid off because I ended up getting the promotion.
low	When I was in high school and played football my senior year me and my team won the state championship. We were never even considered contenders for the majority of the season and actually barely made it into the playoffs as a wildcard. By some sort of grace we continued winning games until we faced the number one team in the state for the championship game. This team had not lost all year and had 15 kids that went on to sign scholarships to play football at division 1 schools. We encouraged each other from the week of practice leading into the game that we could do this and we were good enough. We continuously reminded each other that nobody else had any faith in us but we had faith in each other. When someone got knocked down we picked them up and hit the person who knocked them down twice as hard. By the end of the game we had won by 3 touchdowns and stunned the local media with what we pulled off but we were able to do it because we all were all in and believed in each other.
high	My final year in a competitive honors program, only the three top students earned jobs with a major company. It made realize early that sharing notes could cost me so I decided to keep my head down, worked in silence so others could underestimate me. I woke up early, made sure I was ahead and my focus was on outperforming my competition. The mindset helped me secure the top spot and a job offer.
low	My supervisor was pushing to get us a better schedule (four 10 hour shifts per week instead of five 8 hours shifts). One of the supervisors in another district was against the idea so he had to make a case to the Chief’s office. He sent out the powerpoint that he was planning to use, and we all went through the whole thing. We also submitted ideas for how he could strengthen his argument - I pointed out that it would result in less paid commuting time, and more actual work time throughout the year. Putting our ideas together to improve the presentation, we were ultimately granted a trial period for the new schedule.
high	I guess I have had a pretty relaxed life. I have never been put in a situation where I was alone and only had myself. The closest example I can think of from personal experience is while playing a board game. This game was called Diplomacy. We were supposed to coordinte with other countries (players) about alliances and troop movement and conquest. Ultimately the goal was to take over the entire world. I was never very good at that game because I always had too much trust in other people. They would backstab me and lie to me and put me in vulnerable positions. I guess that I appreciated honesty over sleeziness. This applies to life as well. I don’t want to be dishonest with other people. I appreciate telling them what is on my mind and in return, I want to know what they are feeling. In this case, my approach did not help me avoid failure. But, whether in a game, or in life, it is more important to be honest and trustworthy than to come out on top.
low	It was a project me and my co-workers had to work on, the collaboration effort meant we could handle all the tasks at the same time without too much being put on just one person.
low	We were releasing a new software version. Some of us had to test, some prepare communications, and some prepare new trainings. Because we all trusted each other we were able to divide the work and meet back up at the end with complete portions.
high	Perhaps at work, theres only so many hours to go around. I need to keep my full time, and to do so I make sure to show by example why maintaining my full time Hours benefits the company because my quality of work is higher than some Of the other employees. Sounds horrible, but, I end up cleaning up and fixing after other employees, so management realizes it benefits them to give me my hours first, and then spread out whats left to the others. Sometimes letting other show how they dont get as much done, as quickly and as precisely lets them show management on their own, which benefits me.
low	A co-worker and I were tasked with coming up with a new API for insurance. We doled out the tasks and trusted that each other would work on what they needed to. Because we knew the other would do what they were supposed to, we could focus on our own tasks and were able to finish ahead of schedule.
high	I was going for a promotion at work with two other colleagues. They were very open about the fact that they were applying for the position, but I kept it quiet and just observed and listened. Then I used those observations to subtly give myself the upper hand.
low	My coworker and I are frequently tasked with completing a project with a strict deadline and we always split the work. Some days, one of us ends up having a lot more regular work and we find it difficult to work on the project. When this happens, we tend to willingly put in extra work to help the other person. We don’t complain about it, we don’t boast about it, and we do it because we trust each other to do the same when the roles are reversed. We have never missed a project deadline thanks to this collaborative relationship.
low	One time I succeeded because I relied on other people was when I went on a multi-day long run. We had teammates and we had to divide out the tasks such as finding food and a place to stay among us, and we also had to run. My cooperative approach by doing the task I was assigned helped the team succeed in finding food donations for our charity run, while I relied on someone else to find the shelter. We could not have accomplished all the running and logistics without cooperating with one another and doing the task we were each assigned to.
low	It’s an odd choice, but the biggest teamwork task I’ve ever been a part of was the debut of the Deadpool and Wolverine movie over the summer. I worked at a theater, and that opening day was one of the biggest since Barbie and Oppenheimer (which I wasn’t working for). If I didn’t have a collaborative mindset and work smartly with my coworkers, we would’ve been overrun by customers really fast. I just made sure to help my coworkers at every opportunity and be proactive about problems at they appeared.
high	While i was working at a local College, there was a co worker who was related to the director of the facility. For some reason this co worker was very hateful to most people and decided to record everything I did to try and get me into trouble; despite me not doing anything wrong. I felt like i was under a microscope constantly because any time i left my office she recorded it. When someone would come into my office she would record it. If I took a break or went to the restroom she would record it. She was also being dishonest in reporting that I was doing things I was not doing; and she even told me to do things related to my job that I knew were incorrect and not what i should be doing. I succeeded by not listening to her and by ignoring the many ways she was constantly trying to trip me up or get me into trouble. She could have greatly effected my raise and caused serious harm to my career had I not done so.
low	I remembered of a a group project I and my collehues were a part off. This clinical research project was 100% grant financed. We all needed this as a credit contribution for promotion. I personally was vast when it comes papar works, publishing and experimental analysis. We all had different strengths but same shared vision. I decided to go extra miles even filling up the gap for collegues. I understnad if I blame others for poor performance, this will also tell on my yeilds indirectly. Luckily for us all, We were able to compile and publish our papers and even got a patent to secure our invention. This was a a great accomplishment for us all.
high	I was trying to survive a hackathon at work and the winner would receive a large cash prize. I had to put all my effort in at winning this competition.
low	In a recent group project at work our team was having conflicting ideas on a project and we were facing a tight deadline. I encouraged open communication and made sure everyone shared their ideas. By fostering a respectful environment, we combined everyone’s ideas and created a more efficient plan.
low	I remember we once did a team building exercise. We were paired off into groups of 6. It was to assemble Jenga Blocks as high as possible without falling in 2 minutes. Each member of our group stacked a block, taking turns. I chose to “supervise”. When the structure reached a certain high I stopped the building. This turned out to be key because we were the only team whose structure did not fall over. We celebrated and felt we had accomplished something!
low	I was young when I had my first baby and me and my husband struggled with money. One day we decided to not be broke anymore, and work opposite shifts, knowing that we would never see each other for weeks. We did this for about a year to save up money for a house, which was way cheaper than renting. Our cooperation and being okay with missing each other, helped get us to buying our first home. If we did not keep working together and persevering, we would not have ever made it. By doing this we helped our children have a better life.
high	I was trapped in a bad marriage and it was made worse due to my wife’s involvement in a cult religion. I tried to make our marriage work but after 18 years I had to escape not only a bad marriage but also a cult religion.
high	I would keep my guard up, but also observe them to see how I could put myself on top. Most people overreact in situations like this, so waiting to find the best way to respond is the only way to properly deal with it.
low	I worked in a creative space where everyone felt seen, heard and valued. From the beginning we made a shared effort and supported each other
low	When covid first hit in March of 2020 I was managing an office of 5 people. This was a public facing office where our customers were used to coming in person for service. With a stay at home order coming, we had quickly pivot to continue providing the same service but from home. We quickly moved to set up an online portal, utilize Microsoft teams for team organization, and enact policies guided towards not only service, but our safety. We would have never achieved this without each team member coming together to focus on the service we provided. Each member brought their approach to how we could adapt and overcome. Without the cooperation and input from everyone we would have not succeeded at all.
low	When our company was bought out employees helped each other with testing to remain employed. We truly cared about our well-being and didn’t want anyone to lose their job despite new positions being competitive. In the end we were all able to maintain our employment status after the quick unexpected company buy out.
low	Our work at the time involved overseeing a major event, so it was very much a “all hands on deck” scenario. Everybody had to work together to make sure the event ran smoothly and that guests behaved in a civil manner towards each other. It was a bit stressful, but in the end the event ran as well as it could have, thanks to everybody’s combined efforts.
high	It was many years ago. The organization was downsizing and I felt my position could be eliminated. I started looking around for a plan B. Continue focusing on my performance and didn’t share much with my collegues (personal, professional and so on).
high	I was recently was up for a job promotion, which other people were vying for. However, I realized that everyone was being too modest about their accomplishments and the only way that I would stand out would be if I were immodest. I did so, and it ended up getting me the promotion.
low	In my relationship, we have had to help each other out in times of need. This strengthens the relationship.
high	When I was in elementary school my family moved to Phoenix. We moved in the middle of the school year. I was targeted by the other kids. They tried to pick on “the new guy”. I stood my ground and defended myself. They eventually backed off and I was accepted. I did not accept defeat and cower to their bullying. I earned their respect and succeeded in this situation.
low	when me and another coworker achieved being recognized for bringing the most clients to our branch in the business. We felt wonderful since we worked so well together. We ended up getting a raise and an award.
low	We were having a problem at work with leads not coming in correctly. We got in contact with eachother and gave eachother jobs to catchup with past leads and to fix the problem. I was task in finding the problem and fixing which lead magnet was not setup correct
high	There was an instance where I was hired on to a new job at the exact time as a coworker in basically the same level and department. There had always been two people in this section. All of a sudden upper management started threatening that only one person might be needed. Even though there’s a ton of work. It really made us both very competitive. Tasks were always emailed to the both of us simultaneously and it really was like a race to see who would grab the project first. Because I had to be in so much competetion it really pushed me to learn all areas of the job very very quickly. I signed up for any and every single training that I could find. I quickly ran around learning everyones names, what they did, how long they had been there. I wanted to level up my power contacts quick. I noticed it also really made me withdraw from the other coworker, which for me actually worked well because I love to work solo and always am doing my best work like that. I know it wasn’t exactly nice to not talk to the other coworker but I felt like we were really pressured to outshine one another. I was scared because I had really felt like this would be a good fit for a long term position for me, and everything else was perfect too… pretty close to home, close enough at least. And in an area of town that wasn’t too bad either. Management was always dropping little hints here and there. Saying that they didn’t think we were busy enough, even though we both were working super hard every day. I mean if that was the case how could they possibly have thought a single person could do it. I think this stressed out the coworker a lot more than it did me. They had other things going on in their life too and maybe that was some of it. I wasn;t exactly nice about asking about their personal life either - I was too caught up in this little office showdown. Management also had a way of heaping praise on one in front of the other. I think they were honesltly trying to stoke the jealous nature of both people. I am person who is really good at tuning that out though so I would just go back to work and forget about it. They would always seem to be extra stressed from the pressure. I might have just worked better under pressure. We would sometimes collaborate on smaller work projects together, and it came apparent quite quickly that we have very different working styles too. So this made working together on the projects very very difficult. Those always dragged on much longer than needed which I think stressed them out worse. I am okay having multiple tasks going on at once and really prioritizing what needs to come first. This situation made me even better at it. I became a wiz at setting up all these reminder deadlines for what exactly needs to come next. And having already set myself up with a great relationship with so many teammates people were usually pretty eager and willing to help me which would always make my work swifter, more precise, and more thoroughly completed. The coworker started dropping these little hints here and there about looking for a job closer to home. They honestly did have a pretty long commute, but I don’t think the work environment was helpful for their situation in the slightest.
low	I played soccer for my high school and my senior year was the first time we ever placed first in the district. We had to place trust in each other that they would do their jobs of scoring goals and they had to trust me that I would stop them.
high	When I first began at the current company that I work for, I was thrown into a 99% male-driven environment that looked at me as if I didn’t belong there but decided to take advantage while I was there. I was hit on several times a week, always being gawked at and the mansplaining was at an obscene level. I was very good at what I did and it quickly became known. Not only my talent, but that I was willing to step on any of these clowns that thought I was going to nod and smile my way through each work day. - Once my work had began being noticed, attitudes became much more cut throat and competitive. I pushed onward and am now managing a lot of the people that were there before me.
low	In high school I moved to live with my father. My step brother was big into sports, especially the football team. He got me involved and this was one instance where I witnessed and was involved with a group of people working together to build each other up. Winning is always nice in sports but its also a great place to learn how to take a loss and be thankful for the time the team worked together for a common goal, including making each other the best they can be.
high	We were trying to purchase a piece of property that adjoins ours. There were several other parties interested in purchasing the same property. In addition, the seller had an inflated idea of what the property was worth. It felt very competitive, but then died down because the seller wouldn’t come down on the price. However, because we had a previous relationship with them I kept in touch and eventually brought the sale back up. We eventually agreed on a much lower price than they were originally asking. Persistence was the key to getting the deal done.
low	My team had an important project to do and a deadline to do it by. We worked really hard on it and stayed late that night to get it done so that we didn’t have to come in on the weekend. We worked together after the building was closed and we were the only ones left. We committed to getting it done by the end of the day and it paid off that we had the whole weekend off after working hard. We worked really well together and kept each other going.
low	I was working on a group project for work, where we each were responsible to show different pieces that would help in our presentation to leadership. For instance, I was responsible for showing the cost of the project, and my partners needed to pull together the benefits. Together we were able to calculate ROI. My partner is closer to the benefits since they represent a productivity increase of his users
high	when i first started college for the first time, I was on my own and had to compete against some of the smartest students in the world. I had to do my own laundry, make my own food, keep myself focus in school, drive and be on my own for the first time.
low	We were tasked with creating a social media presence and multiple platforms. There were multiple individuals on this team and each was assigned with establishing a presence on a platform they were most familiar with. While we all had the same end goal outside of our sub-teams we had very little interaction or input on the other individuals on this project. Eventually we shared our ideas and came to a consensus on how to roll out our social media presence. It was at this time were we offered additional suggestions and eventually reached a consensus and went live. While it was not perfect in the beginning and has since been refined the initial response was positive and has a benefit to the company.
high	At my last job, we were getting close to being nominated for a promotion. Because of that, many coworkers started viewing each other as competition. I remember someone lying to my supervisor about a work issue. I was so upset, but I had been with the company for about 2 years now and wanted that promotion. As a result, I had to be mindful of others and careful about who I confided in. It was a difficult time.
high	In searching for my current job, I had to apply for it without the knowledge of my coworkers. If I were to tell them, I know they would have created issues for me in the application process. By keeping my cards close to my chest, I protected my own interests.
high	I recently participated in something called “bar olympics”. This is an event where you participate in bar games, such as pool, darts, pinball, and whatever other games the bar has inside. Everyone competes against each other and winner takes all. Cheating is not encouraged but is allowed as long as you don’t get caught. Smart strategy says play your best at the game and do what you need to do to win. That approach brought me to win the event.
high	If I am being honest I never had a time in my life where it felt like that, which I am thankful for. The only time there was an instance anywhere near that was in school competing against others in a project or similar, where the best made thing won.
high	I used to work at a bar, and we would have competitions sometimes. One of them was to see which bartender could sell the most shots from this particular brand of vodka. All of us were trying to push our sales of this kind of shot, as we got a bonus if we won. In order to get an upper leg, i came up with 3 different mixes of the same kind of shot and went around to all my regulars challenging them to try all of them. Once most of the regular customers had tried them I let them know that they were all on sale and therefore the cheapest set of shots they could get, and that getting a bulk set of shots would give them an even bigger discount (something that happened automatically but I worded it differently.) Then every time someone ordered a similar shot, I would mention our sale shots and explain how they were preferred to others. within a month I had twice as many sales of that particular brand as my co-workers, and kept that up for the remainder of the competition (it was about 3 months overall). Needless to say, I won.
high	I attended a pre-law program called The Charles Hamilton Houston institute held at Georgetown law center which was very rigorous and started out with about 50 of us whereas only about 20 ended up completing the program. During that summer program obviously a lot of people were struggling and there was pressure to work as a group amongst the students however I myself have always worked best at my own pace and in a quiet environment apart from others, so it became the case that people began to feel a sort of unsaid animosity towards me as I was clearly succeeding on my own and displaying my own efficacy.
high	I’d been laying on the cool moss for hours. The low brush formed a light canopy over my head, but I still felt exposed. I knew my camo uniform was hiding me from the searching eyes of the enemy combatants, but this close to their base it was hard to remain calm. I had already watched three other members of my small unit fall trying to assault to location from other angles. Only myself and one other member of the team were left. It had taken all my restraint not to move as I watched the rest of my team fall. I might have been able to save them, but my own position would have been compromised if I had. I knew at this point it was a battle of wills. Either I would move or the enemy would move, and the first to do so would go down. I didn’t feel. I didn’t move. I won. Paintball is brutal, friends.
low	Our team was able to complete a project on thousands of acres of property. It took tons of teamwork and everyone staying in communication to accomplish it.
low	This might be more chaotic than what you’re aiming for, but I will share it anyway as an example of teamwork under high pressure. In my first job post-undergrad, I worked on a television set. I had no prior experience working in film/tv and was thrown into the deep end, as everyone is. One of my nightly responsibilities was printing and distributing the ‘call sheet’ to cast and crew, detailing shooting information for the following day. On one of my first ‘location’ days, we were shooting in downtown NYC and the printer in our AD trailer was running low on ink. Luckily, the other production assistants and I had communicated this to the production office the previous day, and they had sent over replacement cartridges (thinking ahead!). About a third of the way through printing call sheets, the ink ran out, so I removed the old cartridge, opened the new one, and went to slot it back into place – only the new one was way smaller than the one I had just removed. Normally, there would have been time to investigate this problem properly – but we were very close to wrap, people were starting to ask in my earpiece where the call sheets were, and the time pressure was huge. So, I panicked. Fortunately, I had another PA in the trailer with me, and she was the more level-headed force I’ve since learned to be under extreme pressure. For some reason we called the production office to ask if they ordered the correct cartridges (not to blame them – we were trying to problem solve, which in retrospect was not helpful), and after some scrambling they confirmed – yes, that’s the one you told us to order! At this point, time was quickly running out, and we needed to print another 100 call sheets. So after trying again to see if we did something wrong replacing the cartridge, my fellow PA and AD made a decision – go over to Kinkos (2 minutes away) and print them there. This led to a mad scramble to get the call sheet on a USB (this was over 10 years ago), find a production-authorized credit card, and run full speed to Kinkos while people are in our ears shouting about wrap and where are the call sheets and what is going on??? Of course, the experience in Kinkos was not smooth, it was very close to closing and nothing was working as anticipated, so it was straight chaos. Eventually, we got them printed in batches, other PAs came into Kinkos to grab them, and crew got their call sheets as they were wrapping out – but it was extremely stressful. THEN, when I went back to our trailer, the other PA who had helped me sheepishly showed me – the ink cartridge had been sitting in a tray, and the entire tray was removable, so all we needed to do was swap out the removable cartridge. I was, of course, mortified, thinking I was going to be fired. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone but I immediately confessed to my boss, taking responsibility for the mistake and thanking everyone for helping me out. I was not fired that night. Instead, I learned a valuable lesson – sometimes you have to question your assumptions, and pause to consider other possibilities, even under extreme pressure. Other than some panicking, no one screamed that night. Instead we came together to focus on solving the problem at hand, and my colleagues stepped up to help the green PA who had no idea what she was doing. I’ve never forgotten that story and probably never will.
low	I was once part of a small group of people who took on the extremely difficult job of getting a hoarder’s house decluttered, clean, and livable again. It was a situation in which becoming extremely overwhelmed was very easy to do. We worked together to form a plan of attack and assigned each of us s small section to work through independently. We worked side by side and cheered each other on through the process. This would have taken a huge mental toll on anyone trying to accomplish this task by themselves, but the ten of us kept each other motivated and became each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
low	When we are overwhelmed or out of office, we have a great back up team to assist with tasks. I’ve also had people reach out to me once I returned to the office and offer to help while I got caught up. Teamwork and that’s what my company has
high	I actually work in a prison and I always have to have my guard up. It does feel like a jungle most days too. You obviously cannot trust any of prisoners, so its hard to feel safe at work. I have gotten by over the last 10 years by instead just trying to remain cordial and respectful. Showing respect first and foremost unless they have given me a reason not to. This has been successful for me.
low	During a final year group project at university, my team and I faced a tight deadlines and a complex research topic. We divided tasks based on each person’s strength, regularly checked in with one another and stepped in to help when anyone was falling behind.
high	I was in college and working on a project; this was at a time where physical books were much more common as a resource. There were a limited number of books available on any given subject. Knowing this, I checked very early on and probably took an extra one or two than I would have needed in order to ensure I was covered. It may not have been fair and I could have left more for others, but being proactive and a little selfish led to success. If I recall, I got a great grade on the project!
low	At my workplace we went through a sales tax audit covering several years. A team of 3 of us divided the work of compiling documentation and copies of all of the samples invoices, receipts and statements the auditors required to be submitted. As the workload was too large for one person to compile in the timeframe required we had to rely on each other to share in the workload. The team was comprised of trustworthy people with good work ethics so we had no doubt the workload each person was assigned would be completed in a timely manner. In the end, we all came together with our findings and were able to check off that all things had been compiled for submission. The auditor was pleased all items were provided for review.
high	Earlier in my career in corporate, I had a coworker who appeared to be helpful. We did the same job as an executive assistant however she was much older, and her manager was higher up. I appreciated the advice; she was there longer than I & I figured she knew what she was talking about. However, I find out that she was telling my manager lies about my work. Without proof, it was a warning since she was a senior, but after that I documented everything & made sure to cross my T’s & dot my I’s. I did not discuss much with her after finding out but making sure my work was reported, emailed with proof, avoided her attempts so sabotage me. I believe succeeded because my work was not questioned afterwards.
low	When I succeeded with others in cooperative work, it was the first time I built a mobile app in the company where I work. I had little knowledge about the work, but I believed that my co-workers were doing well in the field. I consulted some of them, and we worked as a team and built app that was complicated.
low	Our office bought new software and there was very little to no instructions given on how to use it. We all worked together, took notes and passed the information on to each other and tried to help out one another as much as possible. The fact that we all worked together to try to find answers and the correct way of handling issues helped us succeed and learn how to use the product properly and efficiently.
low	We conducted firmware and operating system upgrades on thin clients for remote users. We worked on a team of three and communicated multiple times a day to work around our existing schedules, meetings, and events outside of work. But it wasn’t just another work project; this one was fairly impactful with a deadline. We had to make sacrifices and adjustments frequently to complete the work on time. Our established relationships were a major factor in our success, knowing each others’ personalities and work styles. When someone was sick or out, the others would handle it without complaint. We got the project done just in time and celebrated afterwards.
high	I lost a lot of money in the markets, and I decided to be accountable and be fully clear with what I was doing. I decided to change my strategy, and it was me against the world!
high	I was at work and they were making a major shift in the organization and about half the company was losing their job. It was between myself and another employee on who stays. I stayed humbled, kept my head down, and worked hard and I made the cut and still work at that company today.
high	I had to work hard for a spot on the basketball team at my new school. It was difficult to feel trusting towards the new people around me. I had to work harder to earn my spot on the team than those who were already familiar with the team. I built strength, endurance and focus to gain an advantage and enhance my skills. I still enjoyed the challenge of fighting for what I wanted. This competition gave me more guts and character and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
high	Living in a tent after being wrongfully convicted of a crime lead me into isolation from people having a negative opinion about me. That isolation brought me closer to God. I learned independence.
high	i had a job where were financially compensated for performance in comparison to our coworkers. It led to competitiveness, animosity, and even sabotage among the team. While this worked for others, it ultimately ended in failure, as i had to leave the position.
low	A time i can remember was when i was in a team of 5 and we had to work together to bring a number of investors to our company. The team leader gave each of us different tasks and deadlines. we worked together diligently to achieve the target set for us and it was an amazing experience as our approach helped us.
low	For me, this would have been when I worked for Red Bull. My coworkers and I were tasked with selling in 100 displays per person. We worked together as a team to help each other sell in our displays.
low	A couple of months ago my family experienced a death in our family. It was my nephew, he was only 25. So losing him was not on anyone’s mind. Our family had to come together and lift one another up and pay for his services. It was a very difficult time. But we made it through. We had to show each other grace, kindness, and love.
high	At work, me and others were tasked with filling a client order. The order was large, so it was equally divided into 3 parts and each of the employees, including myself were given the same amount of work to fulfill by EOD on Friday. I knew that the manager of the team expected the work to be done sooner than EOD on Friday and that he would allow those who finished to leave on Friday as soon as the work was done. I ensured that I worked through breaks, took shorter lunches and even came in a little early throughout the week to ensure that I could finish ahead of time. I kept to myself during the week and didn’t offer help to others with their tasks like I usually do. I wanted to ensure that this important client deliverable was met and that I met it ahead of schedule.
low	Actually that happened during a hurricane when the entire community came together to rescue stranded people of which I was one. They had all kinds of boats and brought us to dry land and drove us to a church where we were offered warm food and kindness.
low	We had a group of people who decided to do a 5 mile race for the cure so we could support one of our friends who it has hit personally. None of us were trained or ready.for if by any means but staying as a group and looking out for each other is absolutely what got us all through it. We had a gameplay in place to make sure to stop at every mile mark to regroup and wait for anyone on our team who was behind more then others. We also had a plan that everyone always make sure that Noone is left alone, so if you saw someone falling behind then you slow your pace to help them. We did alot of hyping each other up and cheering each other on. We made sure to help each other out with water or even sometimes giving the shirts off of our backs to the others that needed it. One of our friends even had someone on gis back as he crossed the finish line because he wasnt going to let the other person fail. It was a really great experience that I would do again 10 times over if I was asked. It is an experience I will never forget.
low	I work at an arts nonprofit and every year we host an annual auction gala. With a team of 6, this an all hands on deck activity. With marketing, development, and programming teams working together we were able to hold an event for over 500 people through a cooperative team effort.
low	At my warehouse job, my coworker and I unload freight using a forklift. The process requires us to work together to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely. My coworker operates the forklift with precision and focuses on maneuvering the heavy pallets. Meanwhile, I guide the placement of the pallets, checking that they are arranged in the correct positions. Communication between us is key to preventing accidents and handling the loads efficiently. We have developed a rhythm where we rely on each other’s expertise to complete the tasks accurately and keep the workflow moving without delays. This teamwork benefits not only us but the entire crew as well.
high	I was at a upper management conference with my company. We are all salesman so inherently we are competitive. The bosses challenged us to a competition on overcoming objections. It’s a game that I have somehow avoided my whole career but everyone else has played many many times. I was very scared of screwing up and didn’t want to embarrass myself of my team that I was playing with. I decided to openly practice but do terrible, hoping that my competitors would think I was an easy target to move ahead. I also let all of my direct competitors go first so I could pick apart their guess and do it even better.
low	This project was for work and while I was the main person in charge everyone chipped in. The end result was a success and the customer was happy. Each person had their own duties and sometimes stepped up to help each other. This was an automation project.
low	I was working at the chocolate factory when we needed to ship a lot of candy. We all worked as a team to ensure we could ship out that day. Much success was done that day and everyone was proud to have helped in our journey. We were all delighted that we accomplished our goal.
low	There was a project at work that required me to work from someone in another department. We did not know each other. Yet we Collaborated and relied on each other’s expertise and experience to bring knowledge to a common goal.
low	It was at a former job in a restaurant.The restaurant had to be thoroughly cleaned for an inspection.Everybody helped out and did a good job of cleaning.
high	My competitive approach hindered me in the long run! I felt that I couldn’t trust anyone and so did my work in a vacuum and missed out on some key things that impacted my proposal. If I had been less afraid of other ICs getting credit/the project lead I could have gotten feedback early and implemented it to make my project successful instead it did not get approval.
high	The biggest thing that comes to mind her is trying to get a promotion when I was coming up on two years at my first job. I started with about 45 other people, so there would be many of us that were promotion eligible soon. The biggest things I did were: always doing my best work so that I built a strong reputation at the job from day one, beyond that it was networking with hiring managers early and often and taking on additional projects and captainships to build my resume
high	a few years ago i was up for a promotion at work against 2 other people. there was only one spot available. i went above and beyond, asked questions, worked overtime and on the weekends and when it was said and done, the fact that i was willing to do all of those things and the two other candidates weren’t is what secured me the job. being competitive definitely helped me succeed.
low	When I worked at Kelley Services in the office, we were trying to give all of the hourly workers that worked on contract a small bonus. My coworkers and I split our team in half, and one team had to work on inputting the hours in our system, and the other team had to double check that all of the address information was correct. We had only a few days to finish the project, and lucikly we finished before the deadline. Sometimes we let petty arguments get in our way at the office, but on this project we had to put aside our differences.
low	I remember back in college when i played soccer for the college soccer team. We were down 2 goals to one as we were approaching the final or dying minutes. Our supposed striker happened to have gotten a chance to equalize where he ought to have passed to an oncoming teammate but decided to be selfish and shot straight at the keeper. I was subbed on 5 minutes to the end of the game and scored the equalizer 2 minutes to the end to take us to extra time. Being that it was a knockout game and we were exhausted, we all huddled around and motivated each other to turn up for the last 30 mins. We then went on to score a dying minute goal at the end of the 2nd half extra time to send us straight to the college Inter-tournament final. We worked together to achieve the win and we were all satisfied and fulfilled as the college team had never gotten to a soccer final before.
high	My supervisor is currently on maternity leave. There is another senior coordinator in our office who has been there longer than I have, but she is not personable, approachable, or open to ideas. With that, I have tried stepping in for my supervisor in more important roles to show my commitment to the company.
high	We were being tested, and not everyone could move on. Instead of trying to be good at everything, I chose a few things I could be really good at, like thinking hard and writing creatively. I practiced those things a lot. When the hard tests came, I focused on showing how well I could do those specific things. Others tried to do everything and didn’t do anything great. Because I focused on doing a few things really well, I was chosen to move forward.
high	As life goes on I realize more and more that I can only depend on myself. My finances are shot, I don’t have many friends & I feel like I’m not progressing quick enough. My best approach is always just to tough it out and believe in myself.
high	Back in the day, I used to drag race cars at a local racetrack. Some people would pop their hood to show off their engines to show what they had, while others would not. I was not one to let others know what I had. The seeding of the races was determined by qualifying results, and if you didn’t give it everything you had, other competitors would not know how fast you truly were. One thing I would do is what’s called ‘sandbagging’. This is where you make sure you win the qualifying race against your competitor, but toward the end of the race, you let out of it so that you don’t show your fastest time. Other racers may end up thinking you are slower, and underestimate the power that’s truly in your car. This can be an advantage when racing for money, or side bets from people watching. It definitely works in keeping the cards close to your chest, especially in that environment where other drivers may think you are slower than you really are.
high	I can remember when I was in college, and I was running for a position on the student council. I was a freshman and did not know a lot of people but I had been on the student council in high school and enjoyed it. However, there was only one spot available for a freshman to be considered. The other candidates, I felt were more outgoing than me and it seemed as if more people gravitated to their personality than mine. My personality is quiet but I’m studious and I work very hard at anything I put my mind to. I knew that I needed to step out of my comfort zone if I wanted the spot on the student council. So what I did was I started wearing makeup, wore new outfits and went out of my way to approach more people. I pretended to be something I was not as far as personality goes. I even invited some of the council members over to my dorm room and cooked them a meal. I ended up getting the spot on the council, but I felt guilty about it because I had to pretend to be someone I was not.
low	My friend and I started a small computer repair business together. He excelled in customer communications and marketing our business, and I excelled in the accounting and actual repairs end of the business. Without either of us, the business could not succeed.
high	I was at work and needed help and I couldn’t reach out to anyone. They weren’t busy, but they were occupied and decided not to aid me. They wanted me to fail. I remained calm and didn’t let them know of my disappointment. I tried to keep my head in the game and stay focused. Maybe because they didn’t help it made my resolve stronger. I accomplished my goal without anyone’s help.
low	My team got a big project thrown at us that needed to be completed over a few weeks when each of us had PTO planned over those few weeks at different times. We each trusted each other to work on our sections independently since we all had PTO scheduled. When one person was out, the others were able to pick up the slack as well since we are all trained to do each others jobs. We completed the project and it was well received.
high	I was able to keep the end goal in mind. I kept imagining what success looked like, and at what point I could look back and say “yep this is good!”. I kept reminding myself that this was only temporary and I would get through it.
low	During EPIC go-lives for new hospitals, it is common to be bombarded by an overwhelming influx of incidents. The team always comes together and works on whatever comes in, regardless of who is assigned the incident.
high	During work there are always people that are trying to get ahead of you by being selfish, the best thing that I have done is too not paying attention to them
low	Last summer my small team and I got assigned a project with a very short turnaround time. Since this was on top of our normal work load, we all had to be flexible in what we took on and communicate well. Instead of getting frustrated, we all worked together and helped each other out when needed to produce a great end product.
high	This was at work where I had to I am my colleagues had to individually come up with a suggestions to improve a product. Firstly it started off as a collaborative workshop, then it became a competition and a race to getting a prize and recognition from senior leadership. I am competitive in nature but also know where to draw the line to not ruin relationships. I focused on my task, didn’t collaborate with anyone anymore and delivered my results
high	A few years ago at work, Myself along with 6 co workers in my department were competing against each other for a promotion and a hefty raise. We each had to prove ourselves to be the best. There was a lot of sabotaging going on and going out of the way to make each other look bad. I didn’t exactly treat anyone dirty so to speak but I did make sure I was in the right place at the right time to show off what I could do. I did end up getting that promotion.
high	When I was in high school I was severely bullied by my so called “friend group.” People were spreading rumors about me and talking badly about me behind my back and in front of my face. Specifically, they were bringing up that I was not very good at school. This challenged me to prove my competitors wrong. While these people were out partying and smoking, I stayed home and studied and went to the top of my class while pursuing extracurriculars I cared about.
high	A time when I had to look out for myself when no one else would was when I was a new student. No one knew me and I had to go about trying to make friends. I had to work to fit into a class of students who already knew each other. I’m not talkative and I’m very shy. That works against me when trying to make friends. I had to do it because these students were around me. We worked in groups and I needed a group to work in.
high	A friend that also happens to be a co-worker and I are were up for the same job. They were adamant that they had no interest in the job. When asked by our manager to blind nominate our replacement if we were to be promoted we had to decide whether or not to nominate each other. The test was whether or not we saw our direct competitor as good leader or not. A vote for yourself was allowed. Tacky, but allowed. We discussed it and agreed to vote for each other; because of the optics. I didn’t trust him to vote for me, which would lead to him voting for himself, me voting for him and being guaranteed at least one more vote than me. I did not vote for him. Ultimately we received the same number of votes and went to a sudden death round, thus proving my suspicions.
low	One memorable experience that comes to mind was during a community service project where our team was tasked with organzing a local charity event. Each of of us brought different skills to the table–some where great at logistics, while others excelled in marketing and outreach. I took on the role of coordinating communication among team members and ensuring everyone felt heard and valued. By cultivating an open dialogue, we built a strong foundation of trust, which allowed us to share ideas freely and address challengees collaboratively. When setbacks arose–like last-minute venue changes ot unexpected weather–we worked together to find solutions rather than assigning blame. This cooperative approach not only helped us adapt quickly but also strengthened our bonds as a team. Ultimately, the event was a success, raising more funds than we had initially anticipated.
low	We were working on our annual physical inventory. It is more or less one man’s responsibility but we work together as a department. It is a very busy day and we work as a large team to get everything done. It feels rewarding every year when we can work well and get it done earlier than expected.
high	When I was in an art conservatory for my undergraduate degree, it was a very competitive, cut-throat environment. I attempted to make friends with some people in my cohort; however, many people were only out for themselves as we were encouraged to berate one another in review. I tried to play the game how everyone else did after a while, but I found it emotionally draining and I ended up dropping out of the conservatory. Ultimately, I failed along with several others because I did not have the stamina to keep up with the ridicule from professors and students alike.
low	My team had an opportunity to respond to an RFP for a high profile prospective client, but it required working very quickly and deprioritizing other work to do so. We all agreed that it was important enough to work late, and divided up the work to each person’s strengths. Despite working extra hours, putting together a strong proposal felt like an accomplishment - even though we didn’t win the contract.
high	I had to fight for continued classes even when most of my classmates did not want classes. I learn best from a structured approach and classes were the best way to do that. I lack self discipline and I know without classes I would easily fall behind. So I went against my class mates wishes and fought for classes to take place
low	I was asked to work overnight at a different location to help with a re-model. I agreed because the team were all people I knew and had worked alongside. We worked well together and were all hard workers. We were able to finish the project in less time since we divided up the work and helped the other teams who were behind. Communication and cooperation to complete the project made us more productive
low	In thinking back, a moment where me and others worked together to lift each other up was when I was in a recent group marketing project with 3 other colleagues at work. We had a tight deadline we had to meet. One of my colleagues got the flu and was out of commission for a few days. Another was going through a situation at their home. The rest of us were understanding of their circumstances and ensured that all of the project was completed even when they weren’t able to complete their end.
low	A few years ago, I was part of a group of friends that went on a church sponsored weekend trip. The point of the trip was to get to know each other better, grow our faith, and give back to the community. On this open field, we helped set up a community frisbee golf field. Digging the holes was very tough work but we got through it by all working together. We would even chat that we were the “trench team” as we were digging.
low	At work, my co-workers and I were faced with some changes in management, which led to new policies and practices that we had to adjust to. Despite the difficulty of these changes and expectations, my co-workers and I established a system of collaboration and support so that we could meet these new demands. By communicating with one another regarding our progress as well as offering support on individual’s successes, we were all able to get through the year together.
high	When I was in labor the doctor kept trying to get me to have a c-section because I had been pushing for so long with no success. I had to advocate for myself and not back down that this is not what I wanted and that I wanted to do things naturally. I had a lot of pressure from the doctor, nurses, and other medical professionals. Nothing was wrong with me or the baby and I felt they just wanted to hurry things up and that I was inconveniencing them. I kept my foot down and kept my stance regardless of the pressure to make sure that I got my way in the end
low	My friends, neighbors and myself came together the morning after the overnight tornado that destroyed my neighborhood. We worked together to address the needs of our impacted community including providing shelter, food and drink, cleaning supplies and clearing debris. We trusted each other to do the best we could and those needing help trusted us to provide it.
low	My department was trained on this new task that none of us were familiar with. The trainer left a lot to be desired in terms of their training style. The trainer was the only SME on the topic. So a group of us came together and created a group chat for questions and to use as a resource. We worked together to figure out what would be the most efficient way to both learn and action the task. This required a couple workers to fall on their proverbial sword sorta speak. In order to learn how to process correctly, some workers processed based on the knowledge we had and hen it went through quality, we would then learn through our errors the correct way. This method, in turn lead to more efficient processing.
high	I worked for a company that sold puppies to pet stores all over the company. I had three co workers and it was a constant race to get the most and best puppies and sell them for the highest price because it was commission based. It was especially competitive between me and one of the co-workers because we did not get along at all. Any breeder I could convince to sell to me instead of her took money directly out of her paycheck. It was a very competitive environment where you had to think strategically and very quickly on your feet and often participate in things that were slighty underhanded and not talked about. I have a very high drive to win in everything I do, and this served me very well in this particular work.
high	I’m not a competitive person. I like to work in teams or groups, but I admit that every day at work, there’s an unease that we are all in competition somehow. I feel like the same smiling faces would throw you under the bus if jobs were on the line. In response to that fear, I try to be the perfect employee through my attendance, work ethic, friendliness, and cooperation.
low	I oversaw our accreditation process. All departments had to come together supporting one another in order to be successful. As a director, I helped our maintenance team paint fences. Our gift shop team helped another department write up protocols and procedures. Everyone was able to contribute with either their strengths, or manpower and energy.
high	I had to act in a way where my friends were enemies that could not be trusted when my friend was drunk and had a knife threatening to kill his girlfriend. I somehow convinced him to give me the knife and take me to my aunts house. I had to act and think competitively and smart. I signaled for the neighbor to call the police while he was dropping me off at my aunts house. I was lucky to have survived that night.
low	I worked on a project at a previous workplace involving sending emails to targeted groups of individuals to get webinar registrations. Of the 3 team members, myself included, one of the individuals was struggling to get her portion of the work done. Me and the other peer took the time to ask her what was going on, and if she needed additional support. Turns out she was struggling because of health concerns, and didn’t feel well enoughn to do her part. Me and my other colleague stepped into to help with her portion, and the result was a really nice campaign. Later the ill colleague was helpful to me in another project bevacuse she appreciated the flexibility and understanding.
low	When me and my significant other were trying to build our credit and save to buy a house. We worked together to budget and keep each other in check to ensure we worked as a team to accomplish this goal.
high	I was part of a work team that had several underperforming members. I had to focus on getting my individual work done and not worry about the overall team success at times. It was critical that I handle my assigned duties and if I had extra capacity, then I could try and help out struggling team members.
high	I’m thinking about a major class assignment toward the end of the school quarter in high school. I had to look at for myself only because the grade on this assignment will determine my GPA and then my class rank as valedictorian. My competitive approach helped me succeed because it reminded me, selfishly, to not help others and to only focus on myself and my end goal.
low	when playing dungeons and dragons, me and my friends collaborate to create a story. the experience changes based on everyone’s imput
low	I was in this church group as a teen. We built these homes for the less fortunate. A lot of us would go on weekends and help build. It was just a team effort where I trusted everyone and it felt good to something nice. We all worked as a team to get the houses built. It was a good memory and a fun time.
low	I had a friend who had a pipe burst and cause a major leak inside they’re house. They were out of the country when this happened. when he called about the leak i knew we had to react fast cause the leak was already going on for a couple of days. But we got there shut the water off fixed the leak and repaired all the damage.
high	This tends to be the case when I play commander with my friends. It is a form of the card game Magic the Gathering. I play a somewhat powerful deck, so I am usually the target in my play group. I need to stay on guard, if not I’ll get wiped out quickly, which is what happened the last time I played.
low	I led a committee at work that was building a strategic plan. We broke into sub-groups and studied the issues before us and created goals and built strategies to meet the goals. We met some of the goals which were low hanging fruit. We struggled in getting to other goals. But, we worked as a team and settled on goals and strategies after discussion and debate. It was a team effort.
low	One time we had to bring a TV outside and it was heavy but we worked together and did it it was easy after that and no issues I was happy we worked together and did it I was enjoying the experience of teamwork and I had no issues
low	The cooperative approach helped solve the problem. By working together, we were able to come to a mutual decision and work out a solution.
high	When my daughter was born with disabilities I stood up to the plate and found every resource to help her
high	First semester of grad school, the group project turned into a zero sum game. One teammate stopped showing up, another kept pushing sloppy work. I realized playing nice would sink my grade, so I took over the hardest parts - coded, debugged, and packaged everything myself. Didn’t ask, just did. Pulled an all nighter, submitted solo. Got the A. Learned quick - when the stakes are high, trust only output, not people.
low	We were working during a deadline and were wrapping up a project for the day. It was almost lunch and since we were ahead of schedule, the project lead decided to wrap up and we voted to go out to eat. When we came back, there had been a power outage. Everyone rushed to their computers and while most people had saved their work, some hadn’t and lost a lot of their efforts making us now behind. Yes there was a bit of complaining, but the lead rallied us. It was a bit like a sitcom, but she got us organized. Those of us who could afford to, went to help the one’s who were now behind while everyone else focused and keeping us on track. By the end of the day, we were still on track to wrapping up the project on time. Our lead really came through for us, because I think without her, it would have devolved into an argument even though we were all adults.
high	There was a time when I had a stalker at my work. I should have known better about the laws regarding this, but my managers wouldn’t really help me. I had to deal with this guy for 2 years. Each was getting worse and worse. It finally came down to him throwing objects at me over the counter, and that’s when I snapped and I contacted the police to get a restraining order. My own boss refused to believe this, until he looked at the cameras and said “I guess you’re right”. After that they “banned” him, but in pretty sure since my boss was also buddy buddies with this guy because he worked across the street and had his own business, that he was told to come in when I was not there because my coworkers told me they saw him often. The very last day he came in, I put my foot down and told him myself to leave and never come back or I will have the police after him. He didn’t come back and a little bit later he even shut down his business!!
high	At my former workplace, 3 of my coworkers and myself were up for an available bonus. We were given a challenge in which we were asked to create a new product and market it to other employees. Whoever had the most orders on the product was the winner, and was given the bonus money. We had 4 weeks to come up with the idea, proto-type, and sales pitch for the product. A competitive approach was crucial to success as I felt like I had to out perform my coworkers by creating something so irresistible, everyone would be lining up to place their orders. Think ‘Thneed’ from Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax.’ I spent hours researching new innovative home improvement products, honing in on my niche, until I was satisfied with my idea. I also tried to do some reconnaissance on the other competitors products so that I could get a leg up. In the end, I came in second place, only within 4 orders of first place.
high	There was this time when I was in college that I had to take the Greyhound bus to get home. This is my first experience taking a bus as public transportation on a trip that was going to be over 12 hours long. What I discovered is that the type of plane tell they get on a bus are not the highest social order. These are people who may tend to be selfish or compromised in morals. I had to be concerned about my baggage to make sure that nothing would happen to it and I had to secure my place on the bus. It was not that bad but it still required me to be diligent and aware of my surroundings and also who I was interacting with. In the end I found some really good people that I was able to sit by at certain stages of the bus trip but it also taught me a lesson that in the future I would avoid buses and try to take my own vehicle.
high	Back in school my teacher told us if we read and summarize 8 books we wouldn’t have to take the next test coming up. The issue was that only the first person to complete 8 books would be able to skip the next test. I wanted to get that deal but I didn’t have 8 books so I took some from some of my classmates bags and never told them. In the end I got the deal first.
low	Last month we had a new client that needed a quick turnaround time for a cybersecurity audit. Our company need this new client multi year contract to help cushion the quarter. Our team of 4 people, had an initial meeting where we discussed new approaches to test their infrastructure. We agreed up a plan and successfully meet the deadline in record time. This made the client happy and secured up the contract and in turn help all of your performance reviews for this quarter.
high	When I was in my first year of interning at work, there was an intern who was up for the same job that I was after. They were trying to befriend me, and I felt like there motives were not sincere. I had to keep that in mind and decide not to be friendly with this person outside of the regular work relationship.
high	I was on a team migrating our database to a new cloud service. A critical server went down during the weekend we were doing the data transfer and the cloud provider tech support team and our management were not answering calls. i handled it.
low	This would have been when I worked in a team project in college. We designated tasks to each person with deadlines and successfully completed the project and presented in class. We received a good grade and knew we had worked great as a team.
high	My ex husband called a false report to CPS because I won’t let him see my daughter. He is not into co parenting and doesn’t have my daughter’s best interest and safety being number one. CPS drug tested me for everything. My house is spotless because I suffer from OCD. They realized he made a false allegation against me and I never heard from them again. Now that being said I won’t let my daughter see him anymore. She isn’t his bio daughter but has been in her life 90% of the time. We moved to a different state and we both are safe.
high	I am not paranoid but I am always on guard for people treating me unfairly. I am LGBTQ+ so it comes with the territory. Most recently, I was being mocked behind my back by two co-workers who were spreading rumors that I could not do my job. I waited for the right moment and just casually mentioned that I knew about the rumors. I used the words, “I have spies” (I don’t, but I have friends). They stopped.
high	I wanted a promotion, and also wanted to ensure I was viewed as the best within my specific unit at my job. I would fight for the best assignments and try to be as front facing as possible. My competitive approach helped in the short term, but when I got new management, they viewed me as someone who would want to compete with them and so things did not end well.

Manipulation check: Competitive Worldview

1. It’s a dog-eat-dog world where you have to be ruthless at times
   
2. Life is not governed by the “survival of the fittest.” We should let compassion and moral laws be our guide [R]
   
3. There is really no such thing as “right” and “wrong.” It all boils down to what you can get away with
   
4. One of the most useful skills a person should develop is how to look someone straight in the eye and lie convincingly
   
5. It is better to be loved than to be feared [R]
   
6. My knowledge and experience tell me that the social world we live in is basically a competitive “jungle” in which the fittest survive and succeed, in which power, wealth, and winning are everything, and might is right
   
7. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and never do anything unfair to someone else [R]
   
8. Basically people are objects to be quietly and coolly manipulated for one’s own benefit
   
9. Honesty is the best policy in all cases [R]
   
10. One should give others the benefit of the doubt. Most people are trustworthy if you have faith in them [R]

Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78

Relationship expectancies

What leads someone to have good relationships?

Below, we list some attributes and behaviors that a person might display in a group of other people.

What do you think is the impact of each of these things on whether that person has good relationships with others in that group? (1 = Strong negative effect on relationships to 7 = Strong positive effect on relationships)

1. Enjoying having control over other members of the group
2. Often trying to get their own way regardless of what others in the group may want
3. Being willing to use aggressive tactics to get their way
4. Trying to control others rather than permit others to control them
5. NOT having a forceful or dominant personality [R]
6. Having members of the group know it is better to let him/her have his/her way
7. NOT enjoying having authority over other members of the group [R]
8. Having members of their group being afraid of them
9. Others NOT enjoying hanging out with them

Cronbach’s alpha = 0.79

Influence expectancies

Below, we list some attributes and behaviors that a person might display in a group of other people.

What do you think is the impact of each of these things on whether that person has influence over others in that group? (1 = Strong negative effect on influence to 7 = Strong positive effect on influence)

1. Enjoying having control over other members of the group
2. Often trying to get their own way regardless of what others in the group may want
3. Being willing to use aggressive tactics to get their way
4. Trying to control others rather than permit others to control them
5. NOT having a forceful or dominant personality [R]
6. Having members of the group know it is better to let him/her have his/her way
7. NOT enjoying having authority over other members of the group [R]
8. Having members of their group being afraid of them
9. Others NOT enjoying hanging out with them

Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88

Self-reported hypothetical dominance

Now, we ask you to think of your ideal behavior and characteristics at work. Tell us how you want to behave and be seen at work in the weeks and months ahead.

Please indicate the extent to which each statement below accurately describes how you want to be at work in the weeks and months ahead (1 = Not at all to 7 = Very much)

1. I would enjoy having control over others
2. I would try to get my own way at work regardless of what others may want
3. I would be willing to use aggressive tactics to get my way
4. I would try to control others rather than permit them to control me
5. I would NOT have a forceful or dominant personality [R]
6. Others would know that it is better to let me have my way at work
7. I would NOT enjoying having authority over other people [R]
8. Some people at work would be afraid of me
9. Other co-workers would NOT enjoy hanging out with me

Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82

Relationshiop concerns

Again, please indicate the extent to which each statement below accurately describes how you want to be at work in the weeks and months ahead.

To what extent would you care about having good relationships with the people you work with?
To what extent would it bother you if you did NOT have good relationships with other people at work?

r = 0.7

Analysis

Competitive Worldview

cond	N	Mean	SD
high	150	3.070667	0.7892352
low	143	2.674126	0.8267289

t(288.44) = 4.2, p = 0, Lower CI = 0.21, Upper CI = 0.58, d = 0.49.

Relationship expectancies

cond	N	Mean	SD
high	150	2.25037	0.7638778
low	143	2.32634	0.7744414

t(289.9) = -0.84, p = 0.399, Lower CI = -0.25, Upper CI = 0.1, d = -0.1.

Influence expectancies

cond	N	Mean	SD
high	150	3.088148	1.316655
low	143	2.839938	1.071324

t(284.06) = 1.77, p = 0.077, Lower CI = -0.03, Upper CI = 0.52, d = 0.21.

Dominance

cond	N	Mean	SD
high	150	2.674074	0.9692998
low	143	2.529914	0.8824781

t(290.39) = 1.33, p = 0.184, Lower CI = -0.07, Upper CI = 0.36, d = 0.16.

Relationship concern

cond	N	Mean	SD
high	150	3.556667	1.0025750
low	143	3.716783	0.9688083

t(290.95) = -1.39, p = 0.166, Lower CI = -0.39, Upper CI = 0.07, d = -0.16.

Mediation model 1: Relationship expectancies

a = -0.08 (p = 0.399)
b = 0.71 (p = 0)
direct = 0.14 (p = 0.185)
indirect = 0.2 (p = 0.025)

Mediation model 2: Compliance expectancies

a = 0.25 (p = 0.079)
b = 0.32 (p = 0)
direct = 0.14 (p = 0.185)
indirect = 0.06 (p = 0.517)

Correlations

Full sample

Correlation matrix

df_recd_elg %>%
  dplyr::select(CWV:care_rel) %>%
  corPlot(upper = TRUE,stars = TRUE,xsrt = 270)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies

a = 0.41 (p = 0)
b = 0.51 (p = 0)
direct = 0.61 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.4 (p = 0)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies and influene expectancies

Relationship a = 0.41 (p = 0)
Relationship b = 0.46 (p = 0)
Influence a = 0.54 (p = 0)
Influence b = 0.11 (p = 0.002)
direct = 0.61 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.36 (p = 0)

High CWV condition

Correlation matrix

df_recd_elg %>%
  filter(cond == "high") %>% 
  dplyr::select(CWV:care_rel) %>%
  corPlot(upper = TRUE,stars = TRUE,xsrt = 270)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies

a = 0.39 (p = 0)
b = 0.58 (p = 0)
direct = 0.63 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.4 (p = 0)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies and influene expectancies

Relationship a = 0.39 (p = 0)
Relationship b = 0.48 (p = 0)
Influence a = 0.39 (p = 0.004)
Influence b = 0.17 (p = 0.001)
direct = 0.63 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.37 (p = 0)

Low CWV condition

Correlation matrix

df_recd_elg %>%
  filter(cond == "low") %>% 
  dplyr::select(CWV:care_rel) %>%
  corPlot(upper = TRUE,stars = TRUE,xsrt = 270)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies

a = 0.51 (p = 0)
b = 0.44 (p = 0)
direct = 0.63 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.41 (p = 0)

Mediation model: Relationship expectancies and influene expectancies

Relationship a = 0.51 (p = 0)
Relationship b = 0.44 (p = 0)
Influence a = 0.67 (p = 0)
Influence b = 0.01 (p = 0.914)
direct = 0.63 (p = 0)
indirect = 0.4 (p = 0)

Extra

Alright, let’s try some things. First, let’s look at the descriptions that people write in, and see if there are discernible features for those in the High CWV condition who indicated high relationship expectancies (as we’d predict), vs. those in the High CWV condition who indicated low relationship expectancies (contrary to what we’d expect).

To that end, I’ll just order their responses by relationship expectancy score and see if any patterns emerge.

High CWV condition

exp_rel	desc
5.000000	If I am being honest I never had a time in my life where it felt like that, which I am thankful for. The only time there was an instance anywhere near that was in school competing against others in a project or similar, where the best made thing won.
4.777778	We were working and always wanted to give it my best. My colleagues never wanted to team up with me so I took it upon me to do it better than them.
4.333333	I lost a lot of money in the markets, and I decided to be accountable and be fully clear with what I was doing. I decided to change my strategy, and it was me against the world!
3.888889	I was working at a restaurant and wanted a promotion. There was a location closer to my house and i wanted that job. I was able to get it by going to that location and then showing how i can cut costs using less labor. I was able to get the job and make that store profitable
3.888889	When I had my first job out of college, I joined a sales team where everyone was working to achieve a limited promotion. It was a toxic environment, because people would steal leads, undercut deals and some times spread lies to go get ahead. This made me protect my clients, tracked everything and I was one step ahead. I made sure my result were noticed without allowing anyone but me to take credit. The mindset paid off because I ended up getting the promotion.
3.888889	At work, me and others were tasked with filling a client order. The order was large, so it was equally divided into 3 parts and each of the employees, including myself were given the same amount of work to fulfill by EOD on Friday. I knew that the manager of the team expected the work to be done sooner than EOD on Friday and that he would allow those who finished to leave on Friday as soon as the work was done. I ensured that I worked through breaks, took shorter lunches and even came in a little early throughout the week to ensure that I could finish ahead of time. I kept to myself during the week and didn’t offer help to others with their tasks like I usually do. I wanted to ensure that this important client deliverable was met and that I met it ahead of schedule.
3.777778	when i first started college for the first time, I was on my own and had to compete against some of the smartest students in the world. I had to do my own laundry, make my own food, keep myself focus in school, drive and be on my own for the first time.
3.777778	A friend that also happens to be a co-worker and I are were up for the same job. They were adamant that they had no interest in the job. When asked by our manager to blind nominate our replacement if we were to be promoted we had to decide whether or not to nominate each other. The test was whether or not we saw our direct competitor as good leader or not. A vote for yourself was allowed. Tacky, but allowed. We discussed it and agreed to vote for each other; because of the optics. I didn’t trust him to vote for me, which would lead to him voting for himself, me voting for him and being guaranteed at least one more vote than me. I did not vote for him. Ultimately we received the same number of votes and went to a sudden death round, thus proving my suspicions.
3.666667	It was many years ago. The organization was downsizing and I felt my position could be eliminated. I started looking around for a plan B. Continue focusing on my performance and didn’t share much with my collegues (personal, professional and so on).
3.444444	In college, I was in a group project where some people didn’t do much but still wanted to take credit at the end. I made sure to keep track of everything I did and took the lead on the final part of the project so it was clear who did the work. Being smart about it helped me get a good grade and not get dragged down by others.
3.444444	a few years ago i was up for a promotion at work against 2 other people. there was only one spot available. i went above and beyond, asked questions, worked overtime and on the weekends and when it was said and done, the fact that i was willing to do all of those things and the two other candidates weren’t is what secured me the job. being competitive definitely helped me succeed.
3.333333	I recently participated in something called “bar olympics”. This is an event where you participate in bar games, such as pool, darts, pinball, and whatever other games the bar has inside. Everyone competes against each other and winner takes all. Cheating is not encouraged but is allowed as long as you don’t get caught. Smart strategy says play your best at the game and do what you need to do to win. That approach brought me to win the event.
3.333333	I had to work hard for a spot on the basketball team at my new school. It was difficult to feel trusting towards the new people around me. I had to work harder to earn my spot on the team than those who were already familiar with the team. I built strength, endurance and focus to gain an advantage and enhance my skills. I still enjoyed the challenge of fighting for what I wanted. This competition gave me more guts and character and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
3.333333	We were being tested, and not everyone could move on. Instead of trying to be good at everything, I chose a few things I could be really good at, like thinking hard and writing creatively. I practiced those things a lot. When the hard tests came, I focused on showing how well I could do those specific things. Others tried to do everything and didn’t do anything great. Because I focused on doing a few things really well, I was chosen to move forward.
3.333333	I had to fight for continued classes even when most of my classmates did not want classes. I learn best from a structured approach and classes were the best way to do that. I lack self discipline and I know without classes I would easily fall behind. So I went against my class mates wishes and fought for classes to take place
3.222222	When working on a job site by myself it was necessary for me to look out for myself. I had to act confidently to make sure I was taken seriously even though I was fairly new and young.
3.222222	When I was in school for a professional degree, I had to be very competitive with my classmates. Those students who were at the top of the class has an easier time getting placement into a more prestigious rotation or internship.
3.222222	in my first job it was dog eat dog i couldn’t really on help from my co-workers cuz we were all looking for the same space
3.222222	My final year in a competitive honors program, only the three top students earned jobs with a major company. It made realize early that sharing notes could cost me so I decided to keep my head down, worked in silence so others could underestimate me. I woke up early, made sure I was ahead and my focus was on outperforming my competition. The mindset helped me secure the top spot and a job offer.
3.222222	I was at work and they were making a major shift in the organization and about half the company was losing their job. It was between myself and another employee on who stays. I stayed humbled, kept my head down, and worked hard and I made the cut and still work at that company today.
3.111111	When I first began at the current company that I work for, I was thrown into a 99% male-driven environment that looked at me as if I didn’t belong there but decided to take advantage while I was there. I was hit on several times a week, always being gawked at and the mansplaining was at an obscene level. I was very good at what I did and it quickly became known. Not only my talent, but that I was willing to step on any of these clowns that thought I was going to nod and smile my way through each work day. - Once my work had began being noticed, attitudes became much more cut throat and competitive. I pushed onward and am now managing a lot of the people that were there before me.
3.111111	I was at a upper management conference with my company. We are all salesman so inherently we are competitive. The bosses challenged us to a competition on overcoming objections. It’s a game that I have somehow avoided my whole career but everyone else has played many many times. I was very scared of screwing up and didn’t want to embarrass myself of my team that I was playing with. I decided to openly practice but do terrible, hoping that my competitors would think I was an easy target to move ahead. I also let all of my direct competitors go first so I could pick apart their guess and do it even better.
3.000000	i was assigned to a project with a colleague, however my colleague was too busy to assist me with the project, so when i finished it, i made sure to mention to my manager that i did all of the work myself, as that was the truth. this allowed my manager to understand the effort that i had applied to this project
3.000000	What comes to mind is standing up for myself against a bully of a boss. My personal life had become a bit challenging and my boss had zero empathy for my situation. Instead of giving me a little more leeway, she demanded even more of me and needled me about details beyond my control. All this while she seemed to go out of her way to make accommodations for a couple of other people. So during yet another round of her calling me into her office to criticize me, I resigned. That likely makes that more self preserving than competitive, but I felt it necessary to rescue myself from the situation.
3.000000	I actually work in a prison and I always have to have my guard up. It does feel like a jungle most days too. You obviously cannot trust any of prisoners, so its hard to feel safe at work. I have gotten by over the last 10 years by instead just trying to remain cordial and respectful. Showing respect first and foremost unless they have given me a reason not to. This has been successful for me.
3.000000	i had a job where were financially compensated for performance in comparison to our coworkers. It led to competitiveness, animosity, and even sabotage among the team. While this worked for others, it ultimately ended in failure, as i had to leave the position.
2.888889	I suppose the best example would be this sales job I had a few years back. It was 9 employees with one manager and one supervisor. It was a cutthroat environment because not only did we work for commission, or because we had quotas we had to reach, but because each customer taken by one person meant one less for someone else. I suppose that competitive approach helped me grow, although at the time it didn’t feel great.
2.888889	I had to interview for a position for a company. I realized the people that were in my graduating class, which were my friends, were also applying. I needed to get this job because I wanted to start making money to be able to buy a home, therefore I needed to be the best candidate for this company. The other applicants were not being friendly and everyone was seen as competition to each other. I realized I could not trust any of them anymore. I made sure to research about the company, reach out consistently, and present my best self to the company. I did not speak to any other applicants during my application process. Although I may not have had the best resume, especially compared to the others, I made sure my personality came through and won them over in ways I knew the others couldnt.
2.888889	I approached the situation that left me disabled in a wheelchair with an open mindset. Open to being competitive and trying my very best to heal in a timely manner. I avoided failure by being competitive in my Physical therapy.
2.888889	There was an instance where I was hired on to a new job at the exact time as a coworker in basically the same level and department. There had always been two people in this section. All of a sudden upper management started threatening that only one person might be needed. Even though there’s a ton of work. It really made us both very competitive. Tasks were always emailed to the both of us simultaneously and it really was like a race to see who would grab the project first. Because I had to be in so much competetion it really pushed me to learn all areas of the job very very quickly. I signed up for any and every single training that I could find. I quickly ran around learning everyones names, what they did, how long they had been there. I wanted to level up my power contacts quick. I noticed it also really made me withdraw from the other coworker, which for me actually worked well because I love to work solo and always am doing my best work like that. I know it wasn’t exactly nice to not talk to the other coworker but I felt like we were really pressured to outshine one another. I was scared because I had really felt like this would be a good fit for a long term position for me, and everything else was perfect too… pretty close to home, close enough at least. And in an area of town that wasn’t too bad either. Management was always dropping little hints here and there. Saying that they didn’t think we were busy enough, even though we both were working super hard every day. I mean if that was the case how could they possibly have thought a single person could do it. I think this stressed out the coworker a lot more than it did me. They had other things going on in their life too and maybe that was some of it. I wasn;t exactly nice about asking about their personal life either - I was too caught up in this little office showdown. Management also had a way of heaping praise on one in front of the other. I think they were honesltly trying to stoke the jealous nature of both people. I am person who is really good at tuning that out though so I would just go back to work and forget about it. They would always seem to be extra stressed from the pressure. I might have just worked better under pressure. We would sometimes collaborate on smaller work projects together, and it came apparent quite quickly that we have very different working styles too. So this made working together on the projects very very difficult. Those always dragged on much longer than needed which I think stressed them out worse. I am okay having multiple tasks going on at once and really prioritizing what needs to come first. This situation made me even better at it. I became a wiz at setting up all these reminder deadlines for what exactly needs to come next. And having already set myself up with a great relationship with so many teammates people were usually pretty eager and willing to help me which would always make my work swifter, more precise, and more thoroughly completed. The coworker started dropping these little hints here and there about looking for a job closer to home. They honestly did have a pretty long commute, but I don’t think the work environment was helpful for their situation in the slightest.
2.888889	My supervisor is currently on maternity leave. There is another senior coordinator in our office who has been there longer than I have, but she is not personable, approachable, or open to ideas. With that, I have tried stepping in for my supervisor in more important roles to show my commitment to the company.
2.888889	I wanted a promotion, and also wanted to ensure I was viewed as the best within my specific unit at my job. I would fight for the best assignments and try to be as front facing as possible. My competitive approach helped in the short term, but when I got new management, they viewed me as someone who would want to compete with them and so things did not end well.
2.777778	This would be when I was applying for my current job. It was competitive with one other person who was a friend. I studied up on certain aspects of the job and interview skills. I got the job
2.777778	Ok, my answer might seem a little inappropriate but it’s the truth and the first thing I thought of when I read this. This describes the time when I had warrants out for my arrest with over a half of a million dollars worth of bonds. I left my town and went to Dallas where I didn’t know anyone. All I had was about $10,000. I threw away my ID and anything with my real name on it. It was just me. I had to survive staying in a different hotel every night and getting robbed left and right. I met lots of bad people. I had to do what I had to do not to get caught. Long story short, it only lasted 9 months. I was relieved when I finally got arrested and went to prison.
2.777778	I was being over worked and was losing my ability to enjoy my job. Luckily with my union if I work a certain amount of time each week it is a violation of our contract. So I started working slower and taking my time so that they would have to give me less hours.
2.777778	When I was in labor the doctor kept trying to get me to have a c-section because I had been pushing for so long with no success. I had to advocate for myself and not back down that this is not what I wanted and that I wanted to do things naturally. I had a lot of pressure from the doctor, nurses, and other medical professionals. Nothing was wrong with me or the baby and I felt they just wanted to hurry things up and that I was inconveniencing them. I kept my foot down and kept my stance regardless of the pressure to make sure that I got my way in the end
2.777778	First semester of grad school, the group project turned into a zero sum game. One teammate stopped showing up, another kept pushing sloppy work. I realized playing nice would sink my grade, so I took over the hardest parts - coded, debugged, and packaged everything myself. Didn’t ask, just did. Pulled an all nighter, submitted solo. Got the A. Learned quick - when the stakes are high, trust only output, not people.
2.777778	I was on a team migrating our database to a new cloud service. A critical server went down during the weekend we were doing the data transfer and the cloud provider tech support team and our management were not answering calls. i handled it.
2.666667	When we would have to do work that was performance based and were going to be evaluated on how well we were finishing our task we did not really have anyone having our backs for us. so i would approach it as though i was competing so that i could leave myself in good standing and try to succeed at all challenges presened
2.666667	I worked for a company that sold puppies to pet stores all over the company. I had three co workers and it was a constant race to get the most and best puppies and sell them for the highest price because it was commission based. It was especially competitive between me and one of the co-workers because we did not get along at all. Any breeder I could convince to sell to me instead of her took money directly out of her paycheck. It was a very competitive environment where you had to think strategically and very quickly on your feet and often participate in things that were slighty underhanded and not talked about. I have a very high drive to win in everything I do, and this served me very well in this particular work.
2.555556	At work during the Christmas season last year. We have competitions at work and sometimes employees seek guidance or help from others during it. I avoided giving answers and helping people out so I could win and be at my best. I feel like people I work with some times lack self guidance and cannot figure things out for themselves. I for one pay attention to all the information that is given to me and take notes. This is one of the rare times I look out for myself and avoid helping others so I can win the completion. It helped me a lot not having to focus on being a team player or sharing things with everyone else. Being able to just look after my self is relieving sometimes as to I’m not having to guide others around me.
2.555556	It helped me win by not getting upset and wanting others to win. I’m competitive but also competition can make or break situations. I’d rather see both sides win. Win/win situations are what I look for always.
2.555556	When I was in high school I was severely bullied by my so called “friend group.” People were spreading rumors about me and talking badly about me behind my back and in front of my face. Specifically, they were bringing up that I was not very good at school. This challenged me to prove my competitors wrong. While these people were out partying and smoking, I stayed home and studied and went to the top of my class while pursuing extracurriculars I cared about.
2.444444	I had to complete a deliverable for a work project. Various team members were also submitting their own deliverables for the same thing. Promotion discussions were coming up, so there was a lot of competitiveness around this. I think the competitive approach added a sense of urgency and necessity to the work that probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In the end it helped me be successful
2.444444	I was recently working for an AI evaluation company, that uses automated internal reviews. I had to walk on eggshells the entire time to make sure I did not lose my job because the algorithm is so sloppy. Competition was fierce and they were looking for any reason to get rid of us / replace us. I kept my head down and made sure not to draw attention to myself. Ultimately this failed, as I was fired and replaced by algorithm as well.
2.444444	During my apprenticeship I was in competition with other apprentices for preference on my crew. I made it my goal to work harder and longer than the others and made sure I was always available for on call work to try and stay ahead in the race.
2.444444	I was preparing for an entrance exam for a college and only 5 top rank were going to be admitted. At that time I felt competitive and wanted to make sure I make the cut. I worked hard to improve myself and made sure that I was better than others. I passed the exam and my competitive behavior helped me.
2.444444	I could remember a time at work when we went on a picnic in group. Coming back we had a problem with the bus driver that took us there and he had to abandon us on the middle of the trip going home. we had to now individually sort ourselves out. Then I was with a lot of cash in my wallet and I was scared letting people know about it so that I won’t get robbed off the money. At that point I never trusted anybody there because anything can happen if anybody finds out about the cash. so I had remain calm and did as if I was getting ill just to shake off other people’s attention from me. And that was how I was able to sucesfully go home with the money on me.
2.444444	I was given an elevated position at a company installing computers, while still not being a Team Lead. I handled computers that held administrative files. This position allowed me a more leisurely schedule and more down time. Our team leads, who were supposed to already know how to do my part of the job, neglected to keep up their training and forgot how to do it. Rather than teaching them, which would likely have reduced my importance, I kept my process vague and guarded and was less than helpful when they were confused in order to maintain my status.
2.444444	I attended a competition in Highschool for French, in which I was competing with my peers as well as students from other schools. I felt guilty at first for taking away spots from students I knew, but I decided to treat them all equally. I ended up winning first in several categories, often taking the place from other students in my class. Ignoring my sympathy definitely allowed me to perform at the level I needed to win.
2.444444	Perhaps at work, theres only so many hours to go around. I need to keep my full time, and to do so I make sure to show by example why maintaining my full time Hours benefits the company because my quality of work is higher than some Of the other employees. Sounds horrible, but, I end up cleaning up and fixing after other employees, so management realizes it benefits them to give me my hours first, and then spread out whats left to the others. Sometimes letting other show how they dont get as much done, as quickly and as precisely lets them show management on their own, which benefits me.
2.444444	This tends to be the case when I play commander with my friends. It is a form of the card game Magic the Gathering. I play a somewhat powerful deck, so I am usually the target in my play group. I need to stay on guard, if not I’ll get wiped out quickly, which is what happened the last time I played.
2.444444	When my daughter was born with disabilities I stood up to the plate and found every resource to help her
2.333333	I refused to become friends with certain people at work who I knew would talk bad about other people to the managers. I was still civil with them but whenever they would ask to hang out I would refuse.
2.333333	When I started making money at the age of 19, I had to withdraw from them because they saw me as someone who would compete with them. So I had to be on my own.
2.333333	I was up for a project at work and my co-worker was trying to get to lead the same one. We were both looking to move up in our roles so this project would have been a great stepping stone. my other coworkers were very friendly with them so they were not offering support to me when i asked them what i should do to get assigned the project, i also asked for their ideas but they wouldnt offer anything. I knew i had to get an advantage so i started pointing out little things my coworker was doing that were wrong. Small edits they missed, deadlines that passed that they didnt hit. I would cassually mention all of this to my leader in hopes they would see how they were not fit for the project. eventually i talked to my leader and showed them why i wanted the project and why i was a better fit. they agreed and i recieved the lead role in major development project for the entire country.
2.333333	At my last job, we were getting close to being nominated for a promotion. Because of that, many coworkers started viewing each other as competition. I remember someone lying to my supervisor about a work issue. I was so upset, but I had been with the company for about 2 years now and wanted that promotion. As a result, I had to be mindful of others and careful about who I confided in. It was a difficult time.
2.333333	I’m not a competitive person. I like to work in teams or groups, but I admit that every day at work, there’s an unease that we are all in competition somehow. I feel like the same smiling faces would throw you under the bus if jobs were on the line. In response to that fear, I try to be the perfect employee through my attendance, work ethic, friendliness, and cooperation.
2.333333	There was a time when I had a stalker at my work. I should have known better about the laws regarding this, but my managers wouldn’t really help me. I had to deal with this guy for 2 years. Each was getting worse and worse. It finally came down to him throwing objects at me over the counter, and that’s when I snapped and I contacted the police to get a restraining order. My own boss refused to believe this, until he looked at the cameras and said “I guess you’re right”. After that they “banned” him, but in pretty sure since my boss was also buddy buddies with this guy because he worked across the street and had his own business, that he was told to come in when I was not there because my coworkers told me they saw him often. The very last day he came in, I put my foot down and told him myself to leave and never come back or I will have the police after him. He didn’t come back and a little bit later he even shut down his business!!
2.222222	I was working in an extremely male dominated field and myself am an extremely bubbly female. I am not feminine per se, but soft. I am not sure I am exactly competitive, I am honest and hardworking. I did have to approach this job differently though. I really prioritized getting my own work done, but also stepped up and helped others when needed. I didn’t exactly succeed but did earn others respect. I was blunt if they criticized me and if they had the wrong impression I told them. The thing is the strongest didn’t survive they left because this was not a healthy workplace. It wasn’t worth the effort financially or mentally. I loved that job and that’s why people are so willing to put in that effort but it won’t be something you can do forever.
2.222222	At my grandmother’s funeral, everyone was acting selfish and petty, so i also acted this way. I ignored people who I blamed for her death, I yelled at cousins who went on vacation while we waited for the funeral, and I guilt-tripped people who chose a wedding over her funeral. I had to do these things for my own mental peace, even if it wasn’t how i usually treat people or situations. I felt like I had to fight to make sure her wishes were honored before those of selfish family members.
2.222222	I remember a time at my previous job, when I used to work retail for 8 years. I was in a management position training with a group of 15 to become the next district visuals manager. In this training, it there was a part that wasn’t exactly a competition, but more of a demonstration to show other leaders in the company what we can do with the product we had, the colors, and the real-state involved. Design the floor as we saw fit with what we had available, a mini floorset. All 15 of us had to choose from the product that these leaders laid out in the middle of the store, and there were not multiples, you could not make requests, only use what were given. I remembered to use my knowledge of previous floorsets and got to work. First I chose a theme and went with Valentine’s Day, I figured that was easy to set since the clothing in the middle of the store had lots of reds and pinks with neutrals. I had 3 walls to work with and dresses some mannequins, displayed the product that the mannequin wore and set marketing with pricing along that. Since I used my knowledge of previous floorsets, and did not let any other distractions come in my way, I was second to finish, even with paying attention to details such as straight hangers, etc. Needless to say, my work was set as an example across the company for the upcoming Valentine’s Day floorset, and I was promoted.
2.222222	I worked at a very small company that had employees whose were there for a long time. They were very clicky and did not like when knew employees came in. They laughed and thought I would fail, but I came in every day and did my job. I showed them how good I was at it and that even though I wasnt a good fit in their eyes, They would eventually miss my contribution. Then I left.
2.222222	I participated in a “egg hunt” in a local home wares store, where four different gift cards were hidden around the store, and the first person to find it would receive $20, $50, or $100 of in-store credit to use on anything in the store. In order to have the best chance to find one, I got to the store right before it opened, and started searching immediately. Other people in the store were also looking, and although everyone was trying to be discreet about it, we all knew. After careful searching, I finally found a $50 giftcard and was successful.
2.222222	A time I can think about when I had to look out for myself was a time at a previous job. My boss at the time had been let go and me and him had a close working relationship. As the new boss came in, I had to be quick to make a good impression because they implied they would be letting some other people go. In that moment, I had to only be concerned with myself.
2.222222	When I was applying for jobs and my connections were not coming through I had to work for myself to get one.
2.222222	While i was working at a local College, there was a co worker who was related to the director of the facility. For some reason this co worker was very hateful to most people and decided to record everything I did to try and get me into trouble; despite me not doing anything wrong. I felt like i was under a microscope constantly because any time i left my office she recorded it. When someone would come into my office she would record it. If I took a break or went to the restroom she would record it. She was also being dishonest in reporting that I was doing things I was not doing; and she even told me to do things related to my job that I knew were incorrect and not what i should be doing. I succeeded by not listening to her and by ignoring the many ways she was constantly trying to trip me up or get me into trouble. She could have greatly effected my raise and caused serious harm to my career had I not done so.
2.222222	My ex husband called a false report to CPS because I won’t let him see my daughter. He is not into co parenting and doesn’t have my daughter’s best interest and safety being number one. CPS drug tested me for everything. My house is spotless because I suffer from OCD. They realized he made a false allegation against me and I never heard from them again. Now that being said I won’t let my daughter see him anymore. She isn’t his bio daughter but has been in her life 90% of the time. We moved to a different state and we both are safe.
2.111111	I had entered a new position with a tech company, and a team of 6 individuals with an open leadership role. It was early mornings, consistent delivery, and follow through that led me to the open management position - and soon I was managing that team.
2.111111	I was in my early twenties and had worked in the games at carnival for a few months. If I wanted to have any money to eat and survive that week, I had to convince people to play a game that wasn’t necessarily rigged, but the demonstration showed that it was easier than it actually was. We game had 2 workers and we had to compete with each other to get customers in to play the game. My approach of being dressed nice and having nicer manners seemed to be my edge and it helped me at least get enough money to get through day by day.
2.111111	When in school, there were a limited available spots for DNA research in a local engineering college for the summer. That year I studied, which I normally never did and maintained a good GPA, but for this I needed to be the best, not just ok.
2.111111	When I was really into the game Genshin Impact, I was participating in fandom activities like making fanart and writing fanfic. Although my works did well, I also found myself feeling competitive toward the other creators in the fandom, and would regularly measure my numbers against theirs, and feel jealous if they were getting more attention. I think because I always had this underlying resentment and felt like I couldn’t truly be happy for my friends and peers, I eventually burned out and lost my interest in writing, which is ultimately a failure to me, and I wish I could have a better attitude toward them.
2.111111	I was working at a store with someone of the same position as me. I knew I was one of the next up for promotion and I believed they were too. At first it was a little intimidating but I decided I wasn’t going to let this person gain an edge on me. I worked more hours and made sure I was more vocal about my accomplishments. I also took initiative and would volunteer for extra assignments to beat my co worker to the punch
2.111111	I recall a time when I worked in a factory in a rural area, full of racist people. I did not expect that to be the case as I only wanted a job so I could take care of my family. Another thing I did not know was that they hired people that had been in jail/prison. Upon learning this through conversation and veiled insults/back handed comments, I refused to quit because I had just as much right to be there and work regardless of the things I was subjected to. I followed the rules and did the job to the best of my ability, and I did not let their comments/remarks bother me enough to leave just because they did not want me there. I stood up for myself whenever necessary, to the point I was ready to fight anyone, and when it came close, everyone always backed off. I survived the experience through stubbornness and sheer force of will.
2.111111	It was when I tried out for the track team. We were all competing for limited sports. I had to put my head down and be competitive, which got me a string role
2.111111	Have had where I just stay to myself in fear of people hurting me or doing wrong by me and I don’t trust many people so I don’t open up even if someone seems like an ok person I still dont
2.111111	I’m a teacher and there is a woman in my department who is praised but she never does may real teaching. She’d constantly ask me for activities for her classes. I got sick of sharing but I knew the students deserved coherent activities that she wasn’t willing to make. I kept giving her stuff but then I became totally over her behavior and the principals’ praise of her. I stopped giving her work. I made excuses that I didn’t have anything or that I couldn’t find what I used. I succeeded in teaching my classes but I couldn’t be responsible any longer for her classes. I avoided her requests and became happier for myself.
2.111111	My graduate school had an intensely competitive environment. The weird thing was that it didn’t need to be like that – we weren’t in competition for grades, class rankings, or job opportunities, just perhaps the professors’ approval. My strategy was to ignore the competitive attitudes of my peers and just focus on the work. If a professor liked my work/research, then great, but if they didn’t - whatever. I liked my research. By ignoring the competition, I was able to gain the skills and experience I needed to get a good job after graduation.
2.111111	I was trying to survive a hackathon at work and the winner would receive a large cash prize. I had to put all my effort in at winning this competition.
2.111111	During work there are always people that are trying to get ahead of you by being selfish, the best thing that I have done is too not paying attention to them
2.111111	A few years ago at work, Myself along with 6 co workers in my department were competing against each other for a promotion and a hefty raise. We each had to prove ourselves to be the best. There was a lot of sabotaging going on and going out of the way to make each other look bad. I didn’t exactly treat anyone dirty so to speak but I did make sure I was in the right place at the right time to show off what I could do. I did end up getting that promotion.
2.111111	I had to act in a way where my friends were enemies that could not be trusted when my friend was drunk and had a knife threatening to kill his girlfriend. I somehow convinced him to give me the knife and take me to my aunts house. I had to act and think competitively and smart. I signaled for the neighbor to call the police while he was dropping me off at my aunts house. I was lucky to have survived that night.
2.111111	Back in school my teacher told us if we read and summarize 8 books we wouldn’t have to take the next test coming up. The issue was that only the first person to complete 8 books would be able to skip the next test. I wanted to get that deal but I didn’t have 8 books so I took some from some of my classmates bags and never told them. In the end I got the deal first.
2.000000	Well I had a job at a molding company once and I got hired on as a temp. There have been people working there for 10 plus years and when I came in I pushed myself to do 100% at least on every machine. And by my first week there the managers told me well your work level is close to an employee that had been here almost a decade. So in turn I ended up hiring me on which they don’t usually do and they decided to train me as a technician for the machines which I was considered over people that have been there for years and years.
2.000000	I was in a meeting at work with high level executives. We were discussing an issue related to the timing of getting information out to clients. The information is distributed from my department, but we cannot move forward until another department completes a coding task. The president was upset that it was taking too long to get information out and asked me what the issue was. I had to identify that it was delays in coding causing the hold up to take the blame off of my department.
2.000000	Throughout the workforce, I would often have to decide if I wanted to take the hit for my coworkers mistakes. The first few times I would try to cover up their issues or mistakes. However, after a while I decided to defend my own reputation and allow others to take the blame for their mistake. Sometimes it really is about my own good.
2.000000	In my business classes where the grades were partially based on those peer-evaluation things, one of the team members began withholding information to make themselves look better. When I realized this, I shifted my strategy: documenting contributions, anticipating gaps left by others, and tactfully taking control of key deliverables. I stopped assuming good faith and started thinking several moves ahead. My competitive approach ensured I got top marks from both the professor and the peers while also protecting my final grade.
2.000000	When I divorced my ex-husband in 2016, I had to look out for my own interest and those of my daughters. He was manipulative and outsmarting him was the only way for me to get out, survive and succeed.
2.000000	When a promotion opened up at my job, coworkers became rivals overnight. I stopped sharing ideas, focused on my performance, and let my results speak. While others played dirty, I stayed strategic-and it paid off.
2.000000	I attended a pre-law program called The Charles Hamilton Houston institute held at Georgetown law center which was very rigorous and started out with about 50 of us whereas only about 20 ended up completing the program. During that summer program obviously a lot of people were struggling and there was pressure to work as a group amongst the students however I myself have always worked best at my own pace and in a quiet environment apart from others, so it became the case that people began to feel a sort of unsaid animosity towards me as I was clearly succeeding on my own and displaying my own efficacy.
2.000000	Earlier in my career in corporate, I had a coworker who appeared to be helpful. We did the same job as an executive assistant however she was much older, and her manager was higher up. I appreciated the advice; she was there longer than I & I figured she knew what she was talking about. However, I find out that she was telling my manager lies about my work. Without proof, it was a warning since she was a senior, but after that I documented everything & made sure to cross my T’s & dot my I’s. I did not discuss much with her after finding out but making sure my work was reported, emailed with proof, avoided her attempts so sabotage me. I believe succeeded because my work was not questioned afterwards.
2.000000	Living in a tent after being wrongfully convicted of a crime lead me into isolation from people having a negative opinion about me. That isolation brought me closer to God. I learned independence.
2.000000	My competitive approach hindered me in the long run! I felt that I couldn’t trust anyone and so did my work in a vacuum and missed out on some key things that impacted my proposal. If I had been less afraid of other ICs getting credit/the project lead I could have gotten feedback early and implemented it to make my project successful instead it did not get approval.
2.000000	I was able to keep the end goal in mind. I kept imagining what success looked like, and at what point I could look back and say “yep this is good!”. I kept reminding myself that this was only temporary and I would get through it.
1.888889	Whenever I played singles tennis in school I had to look out for my self. I had to make sure I looked out for myself and that I played my best.
1.888889	At my film school we were required to “fight” for the right to have the opportunity to direct our films. We had to create pitches and compete in front of the entire faculty and they were the ones that selected the films and who the crew were on each film. There were only a few opportunities, and as a senior I already had the opportunity to direct a film the year prior, and it did well. I knew full-well that if I competed and won, I would have robbed the opportunity to direct from an underclassmen. I did all that I could to win, I didn’t want to lose an opportunity because I chose to be “nice” (which I usually do). I beat all them by a landslide with my pitch due to my skill and experience. Part of the way I justified it to myself is that this whole system of pitching was new (the prior year everyone had the opportunity to direct a film along with working all other crew positions). I really wanted to stick it to the man and show them that it is very unfair to put juniors against seniors in competition, which I proved very easily by blowing them all out of the water. Will things change next time around? We’ll find out.
1.888889	In general, I am not a very cut-throat person and this isn’t generally the way I respond to stressful situations. That said, I did have a similar situation at a former job. While I liked some of my coworkers, some I felt uncomfortable with and it seemed like they were hostile towards me. It didn’t feel like I could trust them and so I was mostly quiet and standoffish with them, focusing on my work. It felt like I had to keep an attitude of “I’m at work to make money, not friends” or it might affect my work performance and job prospects. Being distant with those individuals did help me to stay competitive with my work and succeed in that position.
1.888889	Applying to jobs feltt similar to this. I think that my competitive approach in a job competition setting was helpful in some ways, as it would be counter-productive to try to help my competitors find and apply for the same jobs I wanted. However, trying to help each other could have had murkier longterm networking benefits, of which I have not experienced yet.
1.888889	I wouldn’t consider myself a highly competitive person, but I was in a somewhat similar situation when I moved from my last job to my current. There was a lot of work and I knew that leaving would put more work on others, but I wanted higher pay and more flexibility. I applied to jobs quietly and kept my head down. I didn’t really let anyone know what I was doing. I got a new job within a month or two and left.
1.888889	In competitive video games this is always the case. You cannot trust other players and have to look out for yourself. sometimes this means you have to trick others to get them out before you, which sometimes i feel bad about, but not too bad if it means i will win. I had to trick several people into thinking we are a team only to shoot them in the back when given the perfect chance. they were mad at me, but i needed to to win. In the end, I did end up winning.
1.888889	I was trapped in a bad marriage and it was made worse due to my wife’s involvement in a cult religion. I tried to make our marriage work but after 18 years I had to escape not only a bad marriage but also a cult religion.
1.888889	Back in the day, I used to drag race cars at a local racetrack. Some people would pop their hood to show off their engines to show what they had, while others would not. I was not one to let others know what I had. The seeding of the races was determined by qualifying results, and if you didn’t give it everything you had, other competitors would not know how fast you truly were. One thing I would do is what’s called ‘sandbagging’. This is where you make sure you win the qualifying race against your competitor, but toward the end of the race, you let out of it so that you don’t show your fastest time. Other racers may end up thinking you are slower, and underestimate the power that’s truly in your car. This can be an advantage when racing for money, or side bets from people watching. It definitely works in keeping the cards close to your chest, especially in that environment where other drivers may think you are slower than you really are.
1.888889	There was this time when I was in college that I had to take the Greyhound bus to get home. This is my first experience taking a bus as public transportation on a trip that was going to be over 12 hours long. What I discovered is that the type of plane tell they get on a bus are not the highest social order. These are people who may tend to be selfish or compromised in morals. I had to be concerned about my baggage to make sure that nothing would happen to it and I had to secure my place on the bus. It was not that bad but it still required me to be diligent and aware of my surroundings and also who I was interacting with. In the end I found some really good people that I was able to sit by at certain stages of the bus trip but it also taught me a lesson that in the future I would avoid buses and try to take my own vehicle.
1.777778	I am not a particularly competitive person and normally don’t work in an aggressive fashion. When I have fought at work, it is typically in defense of others and my behavior is just enabling others to express their opinions and make their voices heard.
1.777778	There isn’t a specific experience that comes to mind, but I think life in general has been this way. We’re the only ones who can really look out for ourselves at the end of the day. My approach to this helps me succeed, so I don’t fall victim to anyone.
1.777778	I am a person who likes to “get along” with others and who could be termed a “people pleaser.” I am not usually “cut throat” nor do I do whatever it takes to win. In my current job, the only way it get work is to jump on available hours quickly and without mercy towards other people. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.
1.777778	The time I think back to is when I was applying for jobs recently. I had to be aggressive to make sure that I got the interviews that I needed and I had to make sure that I really put my best self forward. All of the other candidates were competition and I had to be ruthless in order to get my job, even if the other people were really nice.
1.777778	We were trying to purchase a piece of property that adjoins ours. There were several other parties interested in purchasing the same property. In addition, the seller had an inflated idea of what the property was worth. It felt very competitive, but then died down because the seller wouldn’t come down on the price. However, because we had a previous relationship with them I kept in touch and eventually brought the sale back up. We eventually agreed on a much lower price than they were originally asking. Persistence was the key to getting the deal done.
1.777778	I was in college and working on a project; this was at a time where physical books were much more common as a resource. There were a limited number of books available on any given subject. Knowing this, I checked very early on and probably took an extra one or two than I would have needed in order to ensure I was covered. It may not have been fair and I could have left more for others, but being proactive and a little selfish led to success. If I recall, I got a great grade on the project!
1.777778	I can remember when I was in college, and I was running for a position on the student council. I was a freshman and did not know a lot of people but I had been on the student council in high school and enjoyed it. However, there was only one spot available for a freshman to be considered. The other candidates, I felt were more outgoing than me and it seemed as if more people gravitated to their personality than mine. My personality is quiet but I’m studious and I work very hard at anything I put my mind to. I knew that I needed to step out of my comfort zone if I wanted the spot on the student council. So what I did was I started wearing makeup, wore new outfits and went out of my way to approach more people. I pretended to be something I was not as far as personality goes. I even invited some of the council members over to my dorm room and cooked them a meal. I ended up getting the spot on the council, but I felt guilty about it because I had to pretend to be someone I was not.
1.777778	This was at work where I had to I am my colleagues had to individually come up with a suggestions to improve a product. Firstly it started off as a collaborative workshop, then it became a competition and a race to getting a prize and recognition from senior leadership. I am competitive in nature but also know where to draw the line to not ruin relationships. I focused on my task, didn’t collaborate with anyone anymore and delivered my results
1.777778	A time when I had to look out for myself when no one else would was when I was a new student. No one knew me and I had to go about trying to make friends. I had to work to fit into a class of students who already knew each other. I’m not talkative and I’m very shy. That works against me when trying to make friends. I had to do it because these students were around me. We worked in groups and I needed a group to work in.
1.777778	I was part of a work team that had several underperforming members. I had to focus on getting my individual work done and not worry about the overall team success at times. It was critical that I handle my assigned duties and if I had extra capacity, then I could try and help out struggling team members.
1.666667	Unfortunately, at work I experience this frequently. The environment at my job right now is pretty toxic, and there’s other employees who actually treat me with unkind attitudes and gossip about me when I’m just trying to do my job. I feel like I have to keep my head down and continue to work anyways, that’s the way I get through it. I just focus on myself. I wish that everyone could do that and not make it their business to scrutinize me or other employees.
1.666667	Recently, my job presented an opportunity to teach a new class. Several teachers wanted this course. I did too. My colleagues are usually not seen as competitors or threats, but they were in this case because I really wanted to get this course. I had to plan out what to say to my supervisor so that I could present myself as the best candidate for this role. Trusting my colleagues by discussing this with them was not an option as I did not want them to know how I was approaching this situation. I succeeded in getting the course, so my competitive approach worked.
1.666667	When I got into nursing school it was clear from day one that my fellow classmates were closed off or cliqish with other students. The curriculum was brutal and so was the time commitment. I was a single mother of 3 at that time and was working full time while attending school full time. I had to bring out a side of me that was not remotely natural for me and it was the hardest time in my life. I had to deal with a dog-eat-dog environment in nursing school where even the instructors seemed hell bent on failing as many students as possible as quickly as possible, and these instructors often resorted to public humiliating of fellow students. I had to put my head down, work my butt off, and try my best to ignore or diffuse the drama that was surrounding me. It did help me to get through school, but I will NEVER put myself into an environment like that again.
1.666667	I recently joined a wireless carrier company where we get a commission on every sale of a new plan or product. The environment was cut throat as all other sales representatives wanted to grab a customer and sell products to earn more commission. I was new so i didn’t know much about the procedures so initially I was taken advantage of by other sales reps who used to take away customers I initially brought in. However I quickly learned how things work by sitting back and observing how everyone else was working and I started to use the tactics that were being used like building a personal connection with customers so they want to only work with you and standing your ground against other reps. Eventually they started respecting me and realized I couldn’t be taken advantage of anymore.
1.666667	In a competitive work environment where only a few would succeed and get a bonus I inflated the work I did while discounting the work others did. This did help me get ahead in the ratings.
1.666667	Typically, when this happens in my life it is work related. I started in a position and needed to show my worth and that they were correct in hiring me. I had previously interviewed for this position and did not get the job. This time around I was hire along side someone else. This particular job tracks data on the amount of tickets that everyone on the team closes. We rotate an operation role between all of the team members where we assign out tickets. During this week you get to choose the tickets that you are going to work. I learned that the job was not reading the data incorrectly and were only tracking data on tickets that you closed. Any ticket that needed to go to another team was not included in your data, even if you do work on the ticket. During the weeks that I can choose my own tickets I specifically take the tickets that I know that I can close. I also take more tickets than my other team members. This gives me an advantage when management looks at my data because I will have a higher ticket count that I closed and gives me the advantage for success.
1.666667	I remember in undergrad, some of my pre-med classes felt very cutthroat or competitive since the courses were graded on a curve. Some students would deliberately hide notes or withhold helpful information for exams or homework assignments in the hopes that they would score significantly better than other students in the same class. While the environment felt competitive, I don’t think I partook in it in a negative way or a way that deliberately put other students or “competitors” at a disadvantage. It did inspire me to focus on myself and my efforts though.
1.666667	I was going for a promotion at work with two other colleagues. They were very open about the fact that they were applying for the position, but I kept it quiet and just observed and listened. Then I used those observations to subtly give myself the upper hand.
1.666667	I used to work at a bar, and we would have competitions sometimes. One of them was to see which bartender could sell the most shots from this particular brand of vodka. All of us were trying to push our sales of this kind of shot, as we got a bonus if we won. In order to get an upper leg, i came up with 3 different mixes of the same kind of shot and went around to all my regulars challenging them to try all of them. Once most of the regular customers had tried them I let them know that they were all on sale and therefore the cheapest set of shots they could get, and that getting a bulk set of shots would give them an even bigger discount (something that happened automatically but I worded it differently.) Then every time someone ordered a similar shot, I would mention our sale shots and explain how they were preferred to others. within a month I had twice as many sales of that particular brand as my co-workers, and kept that up for the remainder of the competition (it was about 3 months overall). Needless to say, I won.
1.666667	I’d been laying on the cool moss for hours. The low brush formed a light canopy over my head, but I still felt exposed. I knew my camo uniform was hiding me from the searching eyes of the enemy combatants, but this close to their base it was hard to remain calm. I had already watched three other members of my small unit fall trying to assault to location from other angles. Only myself and one other member of the team were left. It had taken all my restraint not to move as I watched the rest of my team fall. I might have been able to save them, but my own position would have been compromised if I had. I knew at this point it was a battle of wills. Either I would move or the enemy would move, and the first to do so would go down. I didn’t feel. I didn’t move. I won. Paintball is brutal, friends.
1.666667	At my former workplace, 3 of my coworkers and myself were up for an available bonus. We were given a challenge in which we were asked to create a new product and market it to other employees. Whoever had the most orders on the product was the winner, and was given the bonus money. We had 4 weeks to come up with the idea, proto-type, and sales pitch for the product. A competitive approach was crucial to success as I felt like I had to out perform my coworkers by creating something so irresistible, everyone would be lining up to place their orders. Think ‘Thneed’ from Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax.’ I spent hours researching new innovative home improvement products, honing in on my niche, until I was satisfied with my idea. I also tried to do some reconnaissance on the other competitors products so that I could get a leg up. In the end, I came in second place, only within 4 orders of first place.
1.555556	To be honest that’s how my life is currently feeling. I know that if I do not take care of myself then nobody else will and to be honest, why would they? I’m nobody else’s responsibility but my own. So that being said, I have been busting my but to make sure I survive. I have a full time job and I do these surveys to help make ends meet. I’m currently trying to also find a part time weekend job. I’ve been barely scrapping by since I kicked my ex out 3 years ago but I am still here and I’m still kicking.
1.555556	When I worked in retail as a cashier, I had to use my competitive edge to secure a promotion and higher pay. Our general manager told 9 cashiers that only one of us would be selected to move onto the manager track and that his decision would be based on our speed at the register, credit card applications secured, and other data like attendance. I really wanted the promotion and felt that I was the best qualified, so I made sure to position myself at the closest register to the line so that I got most of the customers and increased my chances of success. I also picked up extra shifts and offered to come in early or stay late in order to show how dedicated I was to the company. In the end, it paid off and I was put on the managerial track.
1.555556	During USMC boot, there was a particular week during our field training exercise where the instructors deliberately pushed us, both physically and mentally. It was cold, we were sleep-deprived, and out platoon was already fracturing a bit from infighting and distrust. As one of the few females in my unit, I noticed early that if I didn’t assert myself, I’d get trampled over or assigned the grunt tasks without any recognition. I kept my guard up, studied the cadre’s routines, and volunteered for the dirtiest and hardest assignment before anyone ese could even hessite to prove myself. I didn’t wait to be picked, I made myself unavoidable to the higher ups. One day, our rucksack march turned into a navigation test. It was a surprise, they liked to do this often to us to test us, and a lot froze and fumble under the pressure. I lead my fireteam forward using the map and terrain association, refusing to second-guess myself, and eventually through confidence got us to the checkpoint before anyone else arrived. That moment to me solidified my place in the platoon, not just as someone to carry or dismiss, but someone who was capable of carrying others despite my sex. My competitiveness wasn’t arrogance, but was survival for me. Trust had to be earned, and I wasn’t willing to risk failure waiting for anyone to have my back. I truly believe that attitude kept me sharp and propelled me to graduate with honors and continue to further build my career with in the forces.
1.555556	I guess I have had a pretty relaxed life. I have never been put in a situation where I was alone and only had myself. The closest example I can think of from personal experience is while playing a board game. This game was called Diplomacy. We were supposed to coordinte with other countries (players) about alliances and troop movement and conquest. Ultimately the goal was to take over the entire world. I was never very good at that game because I always had too much trust in other people. They would backstab me and lie to me and put me in vulnerable positions. I guess that I appreciated honesty over sleeziness. This applies to life as well. I don’t want to be dishonest with other people. I appreciate telling them what is on my mind and in return, I want to know what they are feeling. In this case, my approach did not help me avoid failure. But, whether in a game, or in life, it is more important to be honest and trustworthy than to come out on top.
1.555556	I would keep my guard up, but also observe them to see how I could put myself on top. Most people overreact in situations like this, so waiting to find the best way to respond is the only way to properly deal with it.
1.555556	When I was in elementary school my family moved to Phoenix. We moved in the middle of the school year. I was targeted by the other kids. They tried to pick on “the new guy”. I stood my ground and defended myself. They eventually backed off and I was accepted. I did not accept defeat and cower to their bullying. I earned their respect and succeeded in this situation.
1.555556	The biggest thing that comes to mind her is trying to get a promotion when I was coming up on two years at my first job. I started with about 45 other people, so there would be many of us that were promotion eligible soon. The biggest things I did were: always doing my best work so that I built a strong reputation at the job from day one, beyond that it was networking with hiring managers early and often and taking on additional projects and captainships to build my resume
1.444444	Having the feeling of needing to compete with others actually helped me more in working much harder than I normally would so that I can overcome everyone else around me. Everyone else was working hard to show their worth, so I would need to set up my game to show everyone else that I was a better candidate than the rest.
1.444444	My previous coworker got promoted to be my supervisor but regarded me as a competition. I realized he had something against me when he kept laughing at me and purposely made my project hard. I had to guard myself and requested a transfer to another team.
1.444444	One time while I was working for a tech start up, profitability started to decline, and business was not going so well. We were overstaffed at my position, and it became obvious that there were going to be layoffs. I decided I wanted to stay, and my competitive approach helped me succeed by making sure I stood out by taking more initiative and volunteering for work than my coworkers.
1.444444	When I was in an art conservatory for my undergraduate degree, it was a very competitive, cut-throat environment. I attempted to make friends with some people in my cohort; however, many people were only out for themselves as we were encouraged to berate one another in review. I tried to play the game how everyone else did after a while, but I found it emotionally draining and I ended up dropping out of the conservatory. Ultimately, I failed along with several others because I did not have the stamina to keep up with the ridicule from professors and students alike.
1.333333	Recently, my boss decided to retire. Although I have been training to be his replacement, a coworker has also decided to apply to be the supervisor of our group. I’m doing everything I can to get an advantage - I need this promotion. Although I respect my coworker, I need to win. By reaching out early to the people in charge, I’m seeking to create goodwill for me, whereas he is largely unknown. I know I have what it takes to do this job; I just need the chance.
1.333333	I served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell & was paranoid that someone could find out I was gay & then I’d be investigated, busted down rank & receive a Dishonorable Discharge. I felt like I had to keep my secret in order to survive so I did everything longer, faster & better than my fellow soldiers so that people can focus on my duties & not question my sexuality. I even dated men I really wasn’t interested in just to keep my secret.
1.222222	When I was in college everyone was so competitive and at first this was challenging for me to figure out how to navigate everthing. Sooner or Later I realized that in order to thrive I would need to push myself and stand out— which began my process of channeling and leaning into my inner competitiveness
1.222222	I had a boss that I had when I first started at my job, and then I moved to several other teams not on my own doing, but due to the org restructuring. When I had the opportunity to do a 6 month internship within the company, somehow I got back on her team. When I initially was on her team, I personally had no major problems with her, there small things, but nothing major as opposed to my other coworkers. It wasn’t until I got on her team a second time where I realized the situation I was in. We both were minorities, however she could be seen as “higher” than me on the social ladder. Long story short, she tried to accuse me of call avoidance due to a “pattern of behavior” of me being 15 mins late to my shift one time and then calling off the rest of the week, due to me having the flu. She knew of this, but still wanted to give me a warning that this can lead to written documentation, when I asked her show me where this would constitute as a pattern of behavior, she accused me of being aggressive this was in the height of the George Floyd protests and stated she was uncomfortable. Never once was I angry or having an outburst, I simply was just asking for proof, as I didn’t agree with her observation. It was in that moment, where I realized I had to be smart about how I interacted with certain people at work, and not assume positive intent with anyone in the workspace.
1.222222	I was at work and needed help and I couldn’t reach out to anyone. They weren’t busy, but they were occupied and decided not to aid me. They wanted me to fail. I remained calm and didn’t let them know of my disappointment. I tried to keep my head in the game and stay focused. Maybe because they didn’t help it made my resolve stronger. I accomplished my goal without anyone’s help.
1.222222	When I was in my first year of interning at work, there was an intern who was up for the same job that I was after. They were trying to befriend me, and I felt like there motives were not sincere. I had to keep that in mind and decide not to be friendly with this person outside of the regular work relationship.
1.111111	One time when I felt cut-throat or rather felt like I was in a jungle where only the strongest survive will be working at my first job immediately after college. I was new to the cooperate world, as this was my first time working professionally. I was supposed to intern for 3 months and then have a review exam before joining the company. The 3 months there were not splendid. The organization was dominated by whites and even the blacks who worked there were mostly support and maintenance staffs. I felt like I was invading a space I was not meant to be in and I was only chosen out of the other candidates so the company will look good in the media. I had zero support from my supervisor and team at large which always got me sad and teary. I could not wait for the end of the 3 months and I had to leave the firm. The whole situation just kept messing with my mental health and I was not about to continue with that.
1.111111	I buttoned up. Isolated myself from my family and even my friends. I didn’t know who I could trust because the threat came from within my family. I didn’t tell almost anyone anything and to be honest, my mental health suffered as a result. Greatly. I still don’t know if it was the right approach, but I can’t imagine doing it any other way would have made me any more safe. With safety being the priority, I suppose I succeeded because I am still here, but it all came at a great cost.
1.111111	I think getting my first job after PA school has been a lot like that. With how competitive the job market is, you have to be almost cut throat to stand out.
1.111111	I was recently was up for a job promotion, which other people were vying for. However, I realized that everyone was being too modest about their accomplishments and the only way that I would stand out would be if I were immodest. I did so, and it ended up getting me the promotion.
1.111111	As life goes on I realize more and more that I can only depend on myself. My finances are shot, I don’t have many friends & I feel like I’m not progressing quick enough. My best approach is always just to tough it out and believe in myself.
1.000000	At my last job there was a new position created that I wanted to apply for, and so did a lot of my coworkers. I was determined to get the position so I continued working hard and during the inhouse interview I shone the spotlight on myself and highlighted everything I brought to the table as an employee. It helped me succeed in getting the job.
1.000000	In searching for my current job, I had to apply for it without the knowledge of my coworkers. If I were to tell them, I know they would have created issues for me in the application process. By keeping my cards close to my chest, I protected my own interests.
1.000000	I’m thinking about a major class assignment toward the end of the school quarter in high school. I had to look at for myself only because the grade on this assignment will determine my GPA and then my class rank as valedictorian. My competitive approach helped me succeed because it reminded me, selfishly, to not help others and to only focus on myself and my end goal.
1.000000	I am not paranoid but I am always on guard for people treating me unfairly. I am LGBTQ+ so it comes with the territory. Most recently, I was being mocked behind my back by two co-workers who were spreading rumors that I could not do my job. I waited for the right moment and just casually mentioned that I knew about the rumors. I used the words, “I have spies” (I don’t, but I have friends). They stopped.

Thematic differences from chat-gpt:

The dataset reveals clear thematic contrasts between participants in the bottom third (score < 1.89) and those in the top third (score > 2.44) of the numeric scale. These scores reflect how strongly individuals resonated with the prompt’s framing of strategic, cutthroat competitiveness.

Bottom Third (Low Scores: < 1.89)
Participants in this group showed the most intense engagement with zero-sum, survivalist thinking. Their responses were tactical, often involving manipulation, deception, or solo resilience. These participants tended to describe game-like, high-stakes competition where others could not be trusted.

Key Themes:

Distrust and betrayal as strategic necessities

“Lone wolf” survival in competitive games, school sports, or work

Active manipulation (e.g., tricking teammates, hiding intentions)

Top Third (High Scores: > 2.44)
Responses in this group still referenced competition, but in a more balanced or cooperative frame. These participants focused on personal integrity, working hard, and mutual benefit, even when the stakes were high. The tone was more grounded and emotionally reflective.

Key Themes:

Doing your best under pressure, without sabotaging others

Focus on work ethic and self-restraint in high-stakes situations

Seeking or valuing win-win outcomes

Conclusion
Bottom scorers reflect a more literal and visceral response to the “cutthroat jungle” prompt, often framing success as a result of cunning or domination.

Top scorers acknowledge competition, but their narratives are more value-driven, emphasizing effort, humility, and cooperation when possible.

This difference in framing suggests that the numeric score may capture not just competitiveness, but also a person’s orientation toward strategic individualism vs. cooperative professionalism.

Low CWV condition

exp_rel	desc
1.000000	I am a youth coach, so I often work with others to coach the kids. I really enjoy working with all of the coaches, because it is awesome to see how other people coach the lessons. Recently, I have been working at a school with a large number of kids in the program, and many of the kids don’t cooperate well. However, the other coach and I have been working together (supporting each other, providing reminders to the kids, and brainstorming together). We have been seeing some positive changes in many of the kids behaviors and sessions are much more fun for everyone.
1.000000	I led an inaugural impact report created for major donors to my org. This entailed working with my team and the communications and marketing teams to create content and graphics/photos. But, we also had to work with the printers to make sure that the hard copy was of good quality. There were some hiccups, but everyone pitched in and lent their talents to this project. The final report was just gorgeous, and it wouldn’t have happened without my teammate’s area of expertise.
1.000000	Our office bought new software and there was very little to no instructions given on how to use it. We all worked together, took notes and passed the information on to each other and tried to help out one another as much as possible. The fact that we all worked together to try to find answers and the correct way of handling issues helped us succeed and learn how to use the product properly and efficiently.
1.111111	Truck day at one of my jobs requires teamwork and consideration of all involved. My cooperative approach helps others succeed by ensuring that they do not get physically hurt and by ensuring that they can merchandise items for their department efficiently.
1.111111	When I worked at Kelley Services in the office, we were trying to give all of the hourly workers that worked on contract a small bonus. My coworkers and I split our team in half, and one team had to work on inputting the hours in our system, and the other team had to double check that all of the address information was correct. We had only a few days to finish the project, and lucikly we finished before the deadline. Sometimes we let petty arguments get in our way at the office, but on this project we had to put aside our differences.
1.111111	In thinking back, a moment where me and others worked together to lift each other up was when I was in a recent group marketing project with 3 other colleagues at work. We had a tight deadline we had to meet. One of my colleagues got the flu and was out of commission for a few days. Another was going through a situation at their home. The rest of us were understanding of their circumstances and ensured that all of the project was completed even when they weren’t able to complete their end.
1.222222	My work (at a bank) converted to an entire new banking system. There were several departments involved in the conversion and each department had to rely on the other departments to do their part to make a smooth transition. There were over 50 people responsible for this process. Thankfully, everything worked out great.
1.222222	In my relationship, we have had to help each other out in times of need. This strengthens the relationship.
1.333333	I don’t believe i have ever been in a situation where each member of a group was in it for the team. Usually it is a select couple people in a group that a committed. Those members agree to pick up the slack of the rest of the group to make sure they get the outcome desired by the committed group members. In my experience there is always in-fighting and disagreement at some level due to competing interests.
1.333333	My supervisor was pushing to get us a better schedule (four 10 hour shifts per week instead of five 8 hours shifts). One of the supervisors in another district was against the idea so he had to make a case to the Chief’s office. He sent out the powerpoint that he was planning to use, and we all went through the whole thing. We also submitted ideas for how he could strengthen his argument - I pointed out that it would result in less paid commuting time, and more actual work time throughout the year. Putting our ideas together to improve the presentation, we were ultimately granted a trial period for the new schedule.
1.333333	We conducted firmware and operating system upgrades on thin clients for remote users. We worked on a team of three and communicated multiple times a day to work around our existing schedules, meetings, and events outside of work. But it wasn’t just another work project; this one was fairly impactful with a deadline. We had to make sacrifices and adjustments frequently to complete the work on time. Our established relationships were a major factor in our success, knowing each others’ personalities and work styles. When someone was sick or out, the others would handle it without complaint. We got the project done just in time and celebrated afterwards.
1.333333	There was a project at work that required me to work from someone in another department. We did not know each other. Yet we Collaborated and relied on each other’s expertise and experience to bring knowledge to a common goal.
1.333333	My team had an opportunity to respond to an RFP for a high profile prospective client, but it required working very quickly and deprioritizing other work to do so. We all agreed that it was important enough to work late, and divided up the work to each person’s strengths. Despite working extra hours, putting together a strong proposal felt like an accomplishment - even though we didn’t win the contract.
1.444444	My coworker and I were incredibly understaffed and the amount of work expected of us was obscene. However, students were the ones to benefit from a successful day of nursing simulations. Despite being way overworked and severely under-supported, we banded together, lifted each other up, and made the experiences successful for our students. Our positive attitudes further empowered others working around us to work at their highest capacity also.
1.444444	Cooperating with my wife to raise our son and deal with his T1D. We work together to combat the disease and successfully keep my son from going to high or to low.
1.444444	I would have to say when I was in high school and played for the volleyball team. We all depended on each other . We spent every day at practice and became friends. We worked hard to be a competitive team and we supported each other. We challenged each other as well.
1.444444	we had call in and there was only 2 of us for 66 residents we did all our rounds together and it turned out okay
1.444444	We were having a problem at work with leads not coming in correctly. We got in contact with eachother and gave eachother jobs to catchup with past leads and to fix the problem. I was task in finding the problem and fixing which lead magnet was not setup correct
1.444444	During EPIC go-lives for new hospitals, it is common to be bombarded by an overwhelming influx of incidents. The team always comes together and works on whatever comes in, regardless of who is assigned the incident.
1.444444	I was asked to work overnight at a different location to help with a re-model. I agreed because the team were all people I knew and had worked alongside. We worked well together and were all hard workers. We were able to finish the project in less time since we divided up the work and helped the other teams who were behind. Communication and cooperation to complete the project made us more productive
1.555556	My friends and I are super collaborative and support each other a lot. It’s pretty frequent that I help my friends out with things like resumes and cover letters because I like writing and editing those things, and in exchange we do things like share information and goals in life and opportunities we’re aware of. This is really great for us because we all end up moving forward together! It feels really great to help each other like that, I’m always really proud when my friends get jobs or other opportunities when I helped them out with their writing.
1.555556	my team at work always has each others backs. a specific example is when our system of record was being updated. the IT partners involved didn’t understand what we needed, but as a group we all shared our needs and agreed with one another. our working together and being on the same page helped us attain the system requirements needed.
1.555556	We recently got state legislation passed to benefit our town. I worked with a team that included people from several organizations. It required us to collaborate, build relationships with other stakeholders, be responsive to their needs and respond to criticism / questions effectively. It also required us to be super flexible with out time and attention. Honesty and trust was a big part of the process. We had to make assurances and stick to them, even when challenged. We were ultimately successful.
1.666667	I acted with what I feel is leadership, I delegated tasks and kept everyone on a schedule by being firm but fair leading to the project being completed early, under budget, and with a higher quality score than anticipated.
1.666667	One of my classes finals was a group project. We only had a couple classes and one teams meeting to prep. The prep times were a bit clunky, but at the actual final our group scored the highest out of the class. Mostly it just seemed like we knew how to play to each others strengths without having worked together all that much.
1.666667	I was working on a project in college where we collaborated and designed parts to be machined. We worked on cnc machining and it was a very collaborative environment where we all supported each other.
1.666667	back in college, my team and i threw this huge campus fest, we all trusted each other, helped out each other and assigned individual task like the music the catering and all, and just kept things super chill and open. no drama , just team work. we listened had each other backs and made it happen. the event was a hit all because we really worked as one
1.666667	I was working on a terminal when I got a call from a coworker who had a family emergency. I told him I needed him to complete my project the following day, as the trip to his site was an hour and forty minutes away. There wasn’t much time to exchange details, and I had to trust that his notes in the maintenance log were clear. When I got to the site, everything went smoothly. His notes were clear and to the point. I also left him notes for my site, but I didn’t start until noon. When my shift started, I called him and he said it was his first job of the day. He did exactly what I needed him to do via the notes I left and was able to close out my call for that site.
1.666667	I remembered of a a group project I and my collehues were a part off. This clinical research project was 100% grant financed. We all needed this as a credit contribution for promotion. I personally was vast when it comes papar works, publishing and experimental analysis. We all had different strengths but same shared vision. I decided to go extra miles even filling up the gap for collegues. I understnad if I blame others for poor performance, this will also tell on my yeilds indirectly. Luckily for us all, We were able to compile and publish our papers and even got a patent to secure our invention. This was a a great accomplishment for us all.
1.666667	I worked in a creative space where everyone felt seen, heard and valued. From the beginning we made a shared effort and supported each other
1.666667	This might be more chaotic than what you’re aiming for, but I will share it anyway as an example of teamwork under high pressure. In my first job post-undergrad, I worked on a television set. I had no prior experience working in film/tv and was thrown into the deep end, as everyone is. One of my nightly responsibilities was printing and distributing the ‘call sheet’ to cast and crew, detailing shooting information for the following day. On one of my first ‘location’ days, we were shooting in downtown NYC and the printer in our AD trailer was running low on ink. Luckily, the other production assistants and I had communicated this to the production office the previous day, and they had sent over replacement cartridges (thinking ahead!). About a third of the way through printing call sheets, the ink ran out, so I removed the old cartridge, opened the new one, and went to slot it back into place – only the new one was way smaller than the one I had just removed. Normally, there would have been time to investigate this problem properly – but we were very close to wrap, people were starting to ask in my earpiece where the call sheets were, and the time pressure was huge. So, I panicked. Fortunately, I had another PA in the trailer with me, and she was the more level-headed force I’ve since learned to be under extreme pressure. For some reason we called the production office to ask if they ordered the correct cartridges (not to blame them – we were trying to problem solve, which in retrospect was not helpful), and after some scrambling they confirmed – yes, that’s the one you told us to order! At this point, time was quickly running out, and we needed to print another 100 call sheets. So after trying again to see if we did something wrong replacing the cartridge, my fellow PA and AD made a decision – go over to Kinkos (2 minutes away) and print them there. This led to a mad scramble to get the call sheet on a USB (this was over 10 years ago), find a production-authorized credit card, and run full speed to Kinkos while people are in our ears shouting about wrap and where are the call sheets and what is going on??? Of course, the experience in Kinkos was not smooth, it was very close to closing and nothing was working as anticipated, so it was straight chaos. Eventually, we got them printed in batches, other PAs came into Kinkos to grab them, and crew got their call sheets as they were wrapping out – but it was extremely stressful. THEN, when I went back to our trailer, the other PA who had helped me sheepishly showed me – the ink cartridge had been sitting in a tray, and the entire tray was removable, so all we needed to do was swap out the removable cartridge. I was, of course, mortified, thinking I was going to be fired. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone but I immediately confessed to my boss, taking responsibility for the mistake and thanking everyone for helping me out. I was not fired that night. Instead, I learned a valuable lesson – sometimes you have to question your assumptions, and pause to consider other possibilities, even under extreme pressure. Other than some panicking, no one screamed that night. Instead we came together to focus on solving the problem at hand, and my colleagues stepped up to help the green PA who had no idea what she was doing. I’ve never forgotten that story and probably never will.
1.666667	At my workplace we went through a sales tax audit covering several years. A team of 3 of us divided the work of compiling documentation and copies of all of the samples invoices, receipts and statements the auditors required to be submitted. As the workload was too large for one person to compile in the timeframe required we had to rely on each other to share in the workload. The team was comprised of trustworthy people with good work ethics so we had no doubt the workload each person was assigned would be completed in a timely manner. In the end, we all came together with our findings and were able to check off that all things had been compiled for submission. The auditor was pleased all items were provided for review.
1.666667	I work at an arts nonprofit and every year we host an annual auction gala. With a team of 6, this an all hands on deck activity. With marketing, development, and programming teams working together we were able to hold an event for over 500 people through a cooperative team effort.
1.666667	I was working at the chocolate factory when we needed to ship a lot of candy. We all worked as a team to ensure we could ship out that day. Much success was done that day and everyone was proud to have helped in our journey. We were all delighted that we accomplished our goal.
1.666667	It was at a former job in a restaurant.The restaurant had to be thoroughly cleaned for an inspection.Everybody helped out and did a good job of cleaning.
1.666667	My friends, neighbors and myself came together the morning after the overnight tornado that destroyed my neighborhood. We worked together to address the needs of our impacted community including providing shelter, food and drink, cleaning supplies and clearing debris. We trusted each other to do the best we could and those needing help trusted us to provide it.
1.777778	At work we found out we were getting mattresses delivered early and the old ones all had to be moved out. I had to get all the staff to quickly work together whether it was in their job description or not and because we all worked together we were able to get the job done on time smoothly.
1.777778	I once went on a camping trip that slowly turned into a disaster. The tent had issues, it started raining, food didn’t go the way we wanted. So we all had to decide what to do. There were some disagreements, but in the end, we all listened and heard each other’s thoughts and ideas as to what to do. In the end, we decided to pack up and go home and have an “indoor” camping night for the rest of the night, and woke up and made an amazing breakfast. It felt really good to come together and make the most of a bummer situation.
1.777778	There was short term project, a 2 week project to be precise that extended to 2 months because of client’s constant back and forth with the work and deliverables. We were three people managing the project with 20 other employees. There were times we had to sit till 3 am in the morning to complete the day’s work. It was then our manager stood up to the client to asked for a deadline for the project. He also clearly said that only the work that can be finished in working hours will be delivered and my team will not sit till 3am to complete the work or else they will get sick. That was when we realized that teamwork is important but having support from manager is equally crucial.
1.888889	My partner and I succeeded in communicating calmly and effectively. We utilized skills learned in couples therapy and successfully thwarted unnecessary conflict.
1.888889	My team and I worked on a community project to build a local park. Everyone contributed unique skills. Through open communication, empathy and trust, we overcame challenges. by working together, we created a vibrant community space. This fostered a sense of pride and fulfilment.
1.888889	When I was in high school and played football my senior year me and my team won the state championship. We were never even considered contenders for the majority of the season and actually barely made it into the playoffs as a wildcard. By some sort of grace we continued winning games until we faced the number one team in the state for the championship game. This team had not lost all year and had 15 kids that went on to sign scholarships to play football at division 1 schools. We encouraged each other from the week of practice leading into the game that we could do this and we were good enough. We continuously reminded each other that nobody else had any faith in us but we had faith in each other. When someone got knocked down we picked them up and hit the person who knocked them down twice as hard. By the end of the game we had won by 3 touchdowns and stunned the local media with what we pulled off but we were able to do it because we all were all in and believed in each other.
1.888889	When covid first hit in March of 2020 I was managing an office of 5 people. This was a public facing office where our customers were used to coming in person for service. With a stay at home order coming, we had quickly pivot to continue providing the same service but from home. We quickly moved to set up an online portal, utilize Microsoft teams for team organization, and enact policies guided towards not only service, but our safety. We would have never achieved this without each team member coming together to focus on the service we provided. Each member brought their approach to how we could adapt and overcome. Without the cooperation and input from everyone we would have not succeeded at all.
1.888889	When our company was bought out employees helped each other with testing to remain employed. We truly cared about our well-being and didn’t want anyone to lose their job despite new positions being competitive. In the end we were all able to maintain our employment status after the quick unexpected company buy out.
1.888889	I was once part of a small group of people who took on the extremely difficult job of getting a hoarder’s house decluttered, clean, and livable again. It was a situation in which becoming extremely overwhelmed was very easy to do. We worked together to form a plan of attack and assigned each of us s small section to work through independently. We worked side by side and cheered each other on through the process. This would have taken a huge mental toll on anyone trying to accomplish this task by themselves, but the ten of us kept each other motivated and became each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
1.888889	A few years ago, I was part of a group of friends that went on a church sponsored weekend trip. The point of the trip was to get to know each other better, grow our faith, and give back to the community. On this open field, we helped set up a community frisbee golf field. Digging the holes was very tough work but we got through it by all working together. We would even chat that we were the “trench team” as we were digging.
2.000000	I was in a monogamous relationship that was stagnating. My partner and I decided to become non-monogamous, after a long conversation about the dynamics of it, about jealousy, about communication. We cooperated, bringing in other partners, to successfully save our relationship.
2.000000	It’s an odd choice, but the biggest teamwork task I’ve ever been a part of was the debut of the Deadpool and Wolverine movie over the summer. I worked at a theater, and that opening day was one of the biggest since Barbie and Oppenheimer (which I wasn’t working for). If I didn’t have a collaborative mindset and work smartly with my coworkers, we would’ve been overrun by customers really fast. I just made sure to help my coworkers at every opportunity and be proactive about problems at they appeared.
2.000000	I remember back in college when i played soccer for the college soccer team. We were down 2 goals to one as we were approaching the final or dying minutes. Our supposed striker happened to have gotten a chance to equalize where he ought to have passed to an oncoming teammate but decided to be selfish and shot straight at the keeper. I was subbed on 5 minutes to the end of the game and scored the equalizer 2 minutes to the end to take us to extra time. Being that it was a knockout game and we were exhausted, we all huddled around and motivated each other to turn up for the last 30 mins. We then went on to score a dying minute goal at the end of the 2nd half extra time to send us straight to the college Inter-tournament final. We worked together to achieve the win and we were all satisfied and fulfilled as the college team had never gotten to a soccer final before.
2.000000	Last summer my small team and I got assigned a project with a very short turnaround time. Since this was on top of our normal work load, we all had to be flexible in what we took on and communicate well. Instead of getting frustrated, we all worked together and helped each other out when needed to produce a great end product.
2.000000	At work, my co-workers and I were faced with some changes in management, which led to new policies and practices that we had to adjust to. Despite the difficulty of these changes and expectations, my co-workers and I established a system of collaboration and support so that we could meet these new demands. By communicating with one another regarding our progress as well as offering support on individual’s successes, we were all able to get through the year together.
2.000000	We were working during a deadline and were wrapping up a project for the day. It was almost lunch and since we were ahead of schedule, the project lead decided to wrap up and we voted to go out to eat. When we came back, there had been a power outage. Everyone rushed to their computers and while most people had saved their work, some hadn’t and lost a lot of their efforts making us now behind. Yes there was a bit of complaining, but the lead rallied us. It was a bit like a sitcom, but she got us organized. Those of us who could afford to, went to help the one’s who were now behind while everyone else focused and keeping us on track. By the end of the day, we were still on track to wrapping up the project on time. Our lead really came through for us, because I think without her, it would have devolved into an argument even though we were all adults.
2.111111	Thinking back to a time when I trusted others was when I was planning my friends baby shower. This wasn’t a work related event. This was my best friends baby shower that I was hosting along side her other friends. I was the main planner but had help from other friends. I had to be trusting with these friends with very important things. Such as, confirming the event space, the food, everyone who’s going to be there. We wanted it to be perfect for our friend so we all had to trust in each other
2.111111	A time when myself and others succeeded in a project was when we had to construct a pop up seasonal store. We had to blueprint the store layout. Then construct the framing and walls to build the stores layout. We had a timeframe to complete this project in order to open on time. We all were able to work together to complete this project.
2.111111	I work in a critical IT operations field where there can be an urgent need to fix a system or problem in the middle of the night. Trusting the team to work together under stressful conditions makes for shared experiences and a feeling of truly being part of something larger than yourself.
2.111111	We found out that there was a security concern for ticket purchases on our site. It turned into an all hands on deck situation. Our entire team dropped everything else and turned their focus to that. Everyone did whatever they could to get the situation resolved with no complaints. It was resolved quickly and was great to see everyone work together instead of compete against each other.
2.111111	A few minutes ago I was on a call in which my team was creating a strategy deck for what our department will do for the following fiscal year. There are a lot of opinions and sidebar conversations. I helped the team stay focused on the big picture. It is leading to good outcomes.
2.111111	When it come to my family and friends I always have there back. Even when I know they might not being doing a good thing I at least help them weigh out the pros and cons.
2.111111	when playing dungeons and dragons, me and my friends collaborate to create a story. the experience changes based on everyone’s imput
2.111111	This would have been when I worked in a team project in college. We designated tasks to each person with deadlines and successfully completed the project and presented in class. We received a good grade and knew we had worked great as a team.
2.222222	I was working on a group project in a chemistry class. The group consisted of three students. We collaborated regularly and agreed to complete specific aspects of the project independently. We were able to complete the project in a timely manner, which was catalyzed the accountability for cooperation.
2.222222	we returned to the office and realized we still had many people out of route. we all agreed to go back out and help them finish by dividing up the work.
2.222222	I will just discuss my marriage. I had a traditional marriage where I stayed home with the kids and supported my husband’s career. While he was a good father, at the end of the day, the responsibility for day-to-day activities with our children relied on me. He certainly was capable of working without any help from me, but once he opted to have children, my support in raising them was crucial to his continued career development. Without me, he would not have been able to focus on his career in the same way, he was. It was almost as if he did not have children.
2.222222	I worked on a successful group project in college where all group members collaborated well and pitched in according to their own personal strengths. Everyone communicated well so we were able to rely on each other to each do our parts and make sure everything was completed on schedule. The project involved each person reaching out to different schools and interviewing personnel about the school lunches and the impact of food on student learning. Each person’s interviews contributed unique insights that helped create a cohesive presentation on the issues.
2.222222	A cooperative approach to one of my successes was when I trusted my partner to help with a catering job. She and I both had our tasks and while I usually want to do every aspect, I trusted that she would get parts right. She took the lead on beverages and desserts while I did the main food, and it cut the time I had to prep in half and allowed things to come out even better as more attention was given to the things I worked on.
2.222222	Recently my work team and I had a situation where we had too many patrons scheduled and not enough seating to accomodate everyone. We sat down together and brainstormed ideas and we were able to come up with an idea of patio seating. We had never used the back patio for anything but a smoking section. The 4 of us each brought in 1 table and 6 chairs. We cleaned up the back patio and set up the tables with beautiful linens, lanterns and utensils. We successfully were able to seat 24 extra patrons for the event!
2.222222	I had a group project in school that required coding. I did not have much experience with programming, but my partner did. During this time I ended up getting food poisoning but my partner was super understanding. We decided to go with our strengths, he was going to program for the project and I was going to do the writing to describe what was going on. Even though I got very sick this plan ended up working out great for us and we ended up with a 95 on the project. Because me and my partner were cooperative and communicated with each other, we were able to figure out the best plan for success even with the obstacles in our way.
2.222222	I was working on a group project for work, where we each were responsible to show different pieces that would help in our presentation to leadership. For instance, I was responsible for showing the cost of the project, and my partners needed to pull together the benefits. Together we were able to calculate ROI. My partner is closer to the benefits since they represent a productivity increase of his users
2.222222	My team got a big project thrown at us that needed to be completed over a few weeks when each of us had PTO planned over those few weeks at different times. We each trusted each other to work on our sections independently since we all had PTO scheduled. When one person was out, the others were able to pick up the slack as well since we are all trained to do each others jobs. We completed the project and it was well received.
2.222222	One memorable experience that comes to mind was during a community service project where our team was tasked with organzing a local charity event. Each of of us brought different skills to the table–some where great at logistics, while others excelled in marketing and outreach. I took on the role of coordinating communication among team members and ensuring everyone felt heard and valued. By cultivating an open dialogue, we built a strong foundation of trust, which allowed us to share ideas freely and address challengees collaboratively. When setbacks arose–like last-minute venue changes ot unexpected weather–we worked together to find solutions rather than assigning blame. This cooperative approach not only helped us adapt quickly but also strengthened our bonds as a team. Ultimately, the event was a success, raising more funds than we had initially anticipated.
2.333333	In college we had a massive all semester long single group project. It included 4 of us, and together we had to write a 20 page lab report. Through out the semester we each did different tasks. I conducted experiments, another collected data, another did the photographs, and another wrote a small summary for the day what we did. At the end of the semester we shared everything collected into a google document and worked on it at the same time. One including photos to each paragraph one of us wrote, as well as references, and the other of us being responsible for different sections. We got a perfect A at the end of the semester for working together.
2.333333	I worked on a small team of four and we were tasked with building an onboarding program for a specific set of employees. There were a lot of pieces to it as the program needed to be quite comprehensive, including immediate and ongoing training courses. My colleagues and I discussed and divided the labor between us, trusting that we would support each other when needed by reviewing work or pitching in at difficult points. It was a rewarding experience as we achieved our objective within timelines and got very positive feedback from our leadership. It really strengthened our bond as a team.
2.333333	I was the chief compliance officer for a startup fintech registered investment adviser with a staff consisting of one other person and had to go through simultaneous regulatory exams by FINRA and the SEC. There was no way I could handle responding to all of the document requests alone and we had a limited budget for outside counsel support so I had to place a lot of trust in the junior person I supervised and let them run with some things with guidance. By setting up regular checkins and maintaining open lines of communications we made it through that period.
2.333333	I remember years ago we did a system implementation. Everyone was working very hard to ensure the data we put in was accurate and correct. Instead of working against each other and competing, we were all working toward the common goal to ensure the project was a success and completed on time. The feeling of comraderie and collaboration really helped us to thrive during this difficult time as we were all facing similar obstacles with implementing and cleansing the data.
2.333333	in my current role, we were recently audited by the state, and my team had to pull records, some of which were from before we even worked there. We all had to work together to locate digital and hard copies of files that we didn’t even know existed, or where they even were, across three different offices. We worked together, communicated efficiently, commiserated often, and were ultimately successful
2.333333	Back in middle and high school, I was a big participator in the theatre department. There was a show I participated in, The Jungle Book, that was given a small budget in both money and time to rehearse. My castmates and I gave up a lot of free time for a few weeks to hand sew costumes, paint intricate sets and rehearse. This resulted in a tight knit show and amazing reviews of our performance.
2.333333	At GEHC we launched an app. Using a program management approach we were able to cooperatively work. I needed to work horizontally and build relationships
2.333333	One time I succeeded because I relied on other people was when I went on a multi-day long run. We had teammates and we had to divide out the tasks such as finding food and a place to stay among us, and we also had to run. My cooperative approach by doing the task I was assigned helped the team succeed in finding food donations for our charity run, while I relied on someone else to find the shelter. We could not have accomplished all the running and logistics without cooperating with one another and doing the task we were each assigned to.
2.333333	In a recent group project at work our team was having conflicting ideas on a project and we were facing a tight deadline. I encouraged open communication and made sure everyone shared their ideas. By fostering a respectful environment, we combined everyone’s ideas and created a more efficient plan.
2.333333	when me and another coworker achieved being recognized for bringing the most clients to our branch in the business. We felt wonderful since we worked so well together. We ended up getting a raise and an award.
2.333333	In high school I moved to live with my father. My step brother was big into sports, especially the football team. He got me involved and this was one instance where I witnessed and was involved with a group of people working together to build each other up. Winning is always nice in sports but its also a great place to learn how to take a loss and be thankful for the time the team worked together for a common goal, including making each other the best they can be.
2.333333	A couple of months ago my family experienced a death in our family. It was my nephew, he was only 25. So losing him was not on anyone’s mind. Our family had to come together and lift one another up and pay for his services. It was a very difficult time. But we made it through. We had to show each other grace, kindness, and love.
2.333333	We had a group of people who decided to do a 5 mile race for the cure so we could support one of our friends who it has hit personally. None of us were trained or ready.for if by any means but staying as a group and looking out for each other is absolutely what got us all through it. We had a gameplay in place to make sure to stop at every mile mark to regroup and wait for anyone on our team who was behind more then others. We also had a plan that everyone always make sure that Noone is left alone, so if you saw someone falling behind then you slow your pace to help them. We did alot of hyping each other up and cheering each other on. We made sure to help each other out with water or even sometimes giving the shirts off of our backs to the others that needed it. One of our friends even had someone on gis back as he crossed the finish line because he wasnt going to let the other person fail. It was a really great experience that I would do again 10 times over if I was asked. It is an experience I will never forget.
2.333333	I oversaw our accreditation process. All departments had to come together supporting one another in order to be successful. As a director, I helped our maintenance team paint fences. Our gift shop team helped another department write up protocols and procedures. Everyone was able to contribute with either their strengths, or manpower and energy.
2.333333	Last month we had a new client that needed a quick turnaround time for a cybersecurity audit. Our company need this new client multi year contract to help cushion the quarter. Our team of 4 people, had an initial meeting where we discussed new approaches to test their infrastructure. We agreed up a plan and successfully meet the deadline in record time. This made the client happy and secured up the contract and in turn help all of your performance reviews for this quarter.
2.444444	In my line of work we can often be extremely busy on duty week when all the new arrets and warrants are coming in. There are times when we cannot complete our own work so we have to reach out to one another. One day there were 30 people arrested and over 20 warrants that came in. Instead of the one person assigned for that day completing all the work, we all jumped in and split up the work load so that one person wasnt overwheled.
2.444444	It was at time at work. When my coworkers couldn’t figure it out to set up a speaker for our system. So I used the knowledge that I had and helped out. I did my part of the job and we were successful
2.444444	At work we have to take donations for our non profit cancer foundations. It is incredibly uncomfortable asking guests for donations. We agreed that no matter who the guest was and how intimidated we were that we would ask everytime and attempt to make it within the top 10 of the entire company (over 600 stores). We had to trust that we would all do our part for a greater good, no matter how easy it would be to not ask when no one was watching. We celebrated each other every day and placed 5th in the company for highest dollar donations
2.444444	We were releasing a new software version. Some of us had to test, some prepare communications, and some prepare new trainings. Because we all trusted each other we were able to divide the work and meet back up at the end with complete portions.
2.444444	My coworker and I are frequently tasked with completing a project with a strict deadline and we always split the work. Some days, one of us ends up having a lot more regular work and we find it difficult to work on the project. When this happens, we tend to willingly put in extra work to help the other person. We don’t complain about it, we don’t boast about it, and we do it because we trust each other to do the same when the roles are reversed. We have never missed a project deadline thanks to this collaborative relationship.
2.444444	I remember we once did a team building exercise. We were paired off into groups of 6. It was to assemble Jenga Blocks as high as possible without falling in 2 minutes. Each member of our group stacked a block, taking turns. I chose to “supervise”. When the structure reached a certain high I stopped the building. This turned out to be key because we were the only team whose structure did not fall over. We celebrated and felt we had accomplished something!
2.444444	My team had an important project to do and a deadline to do it by. We worked really hard on it and stayed late that night to get it done so that we didn’t have to come in on the weekend. We worked together after the building was closed and we were the only ones left. We committed to getting it done by the end of the day and it paid off that we had the whole weekend off after working hard. We worked really well together and kept each other going.
2.444444	At my warehouse job, my coworker and I unload freight using a forklift. The process requires us to work together to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely. My coworker operates the forklift with precision and focuses on maneuvering the heavy pallets. Meanwhile, I guide the placement of the pallets, checking that they are arranged in the correct positions. Communication between us is key to preventing accidents and handling the loads efficiently. We have developed a rhythm where we rely on each other’s expertise to complete the tasks accurately and keep the workflow moving without delays. This teamwork benefits not only us but the entire crew as well.
2.444444	My friend and I started a small computer repair business together. He excelled in customer communications and marketing our business, and I excelled in the accounting and actual repairs end of the business. Without either of us, the business could not succeed.
2.444444	My department was trained on this new task that none of us were familiar with. The trainer left a lot to be desired in terms of their training style. The trainer was the only SME on the topic. So a group of us came together and created a group chat for questions and to use as a resource. We worked together to figure out what would be the most efficient way to both learn and action the task. This required a couple workers to fall on their proverbial sword sorta speak. In order to learn how to process correctly, some workers processed based on the knowledge we had and hen it went through quality, we would then learn through our errors the correct way. This method, in turn lead to more efficient processing.
2.444444	I was in this church group as a teen. We built these homes for the less fortunate. A lot of us would go on weekends and help build. It was just a team effort where I trusted everyone and it felt good to something nice. We all worked as a team to get the houses built. It was a good memory and a fun time.
2.555556	I was a member of a work group that was established to take care of a backlog of unprocessed reports at work. The reports involved calling members of the public who had violated regulations and establishing root cause and finding a corrective action. Each team member was assigned several reports. By everyone being willing to take on the extra workload we completed the reports and got back to the normal level of tasks.
2.555556	once during a snow storm, the long term care facility i work at faced staffing shortages. we came together to prioritize resident’s safety.everyone stepped a little out of their regular roles. we all communicated calmly and supported each other. trust and teamwork was the motto of the day. it was extra work and shared effort and the only way we could think to get it done.
2.555556	I worked on a film project as the director and in order to successfully make a film, you need to hire people you trust in different roles. Everyone doing their job to the best if their ability is what led to my project’s success.
2.555556	My fiance’s mom found a young cat and took her in. The cat was causing some severe allergies for my mother in-law and she could not keep the cat and we were not looking to take on a pet but said we would help look for a home. My mother in-law was going on a trip and I was going to watch and feed her pets, I noticed she was acting funny so I loaded her up and brought her to muy house where within an hour she went into labor and had 3 kittens. I helped deliver the kittens and it was super amazing, we now have 3 wonderful cats and my mother in-law took the mother cat back about 10 weeks after the kittens were born. The cats all now have really good homes and are super happy because we pulled together and took care of them
2.555556	Two weeks ago I was part of a workshop where we were split into sub teams and asked to come up with a solution for a particular problem. We worked together on the common goal, each enthusiastic and willing to work together to come up with the solution. It was quite rewarding.
2.555556	I played soccer for my high school and my senior year was the first time we ever placed first in the district. We had to place trust in each other that they would do their jobs of scoring goals and they had to trust me that I would stop them.
2.666667	Recently we found an issue with some data sets in our warehouse and each person collaborated and stepped up to fix the issue. There are a lot of things I don’t handle myself and I have to trust others know what to do. We were able to resolve the issue, each person working independently on their part and simply updating the team every few hours until the final moment when we realized it was all good and we then were able to notify the community that our datasets were clean and accurate again. It felt very smooth and low stress despite the high visibility of the problem.
2.666667	Every month I work as a team with sales to make sure our forecasts are as accurate as possible for manufacturing. Without a successful forecast manufacturing would not know how much they need to make 6-12 months out and Supply Chain wouldn’t know how much raw material to order, considering some lead times are 120 days. When we work together we can align on the most accurate forecast as possible.
2.666667	We had a production line that had to meet a certain quota within two days or we was in danger of losing the contract to a competitor. We decided to work together and help each other to get this done. Everyone helped each other with small tasks when they wasn’t to busy to accomplish this. We took breaks responsibly and worked really hard to meet this quota. Upper management was really happy. The next day they bought us all lunch and gave us a gift card.
2.666667	I can access memories of countless instances where collaborative efforts, built on trust and mutual support, led to positive outcomes. however the one that stands out involves a complex data analysis task. individually, the team members possessed unique but limited perspectives on the vast dataset. however, by opnely sharing out interpretations, trusting each other’s insight and patiently working through discrepancies, we collectively unearthed meaningful patterns that none of us could have briliance but about the synergy created by our shared trust and commitment to the collective goal.
2.666667	I completed a doctorate program 4 years ago. We were put with partners for our thesis. The thesis involved research and was a two year long project. My partner and I had to work together to share the work so we could succeed in this rigorous program. During that time my partner was pregnant and there were times when it involved a lot of trust that her portion would be completed. In the end, we worked together well, trusted each other, had empathy, and took on more of the workload during times one of us could not and had a successful thesis defense.
2.666667	We were working on our annual physical inventory. It is more or less one man’s responsibility but we work together as a department. It is a very busy day and we work as a large team to get everything done. It feels rewarding every year when we can work well and get it done earlier than expected.
2.666667	When me and my significant other were trying to build our credit and save to buy a house. We worked together to budget and keep each other in check to ensure we worked as a team to accomplish this goal.
2.777778	I consistently work with others at work. One time, we had a data migration project with a tight deadline, where we had to move millions of records from a legacy system to cloud. I was responsible for building the ETL pipelines, and my colleague handled schema validation and error handling. We got last-minute bug threats and scares on our delivery, but we stayed up late and helped each other out. Our director was very pleased with us
2.777778	My team was presented with a last minute call from our bosses to present on a certain topic we had been working on. We were still researching and developing our narrative but was asked to present the next day. We divided up the task and each created pieces of the presentation needed. Everyone trusted each other a subject matter expert and focused on their task. in the end, the presentation went well and we were congratulated later
2.777778	At my previous workplace, my team and I were assigned a tight-deadline project that required input from multiple departments. instead of working in silos, we supported each other by sharing updates daily, offering help when someoneone was overwhelemd, and making sure no one felt alone in the process. My cooperative approach- staying organized, listening actively, and checking in with teammates- helped build trust and kept us all motivated. In the end, we delivered a solid project on time and celebrated the win as a shared success.
2.777778	We had a project upcoming and a new person I did not came to join the group to finish fast. At first the team members were skeptical about how this newbie would be beneficial to the group but as time went on we decided to give him a chance and let him bring out his skill to help the team and we did great and even finished way ahead of time
2.777778	I have a friend that is a bondsman and the competition is super aggressive. Myself and a girlfriend got a heads up and went to line up the bond while the bondsman was on her way. We scooped the co-signer right in front of a couple of agents that always hover in Scott County…my bondsman friend trusted that we would accomplish this, so she came the 35 miles before we told her.
2.777778	A co-worker and I were tasked with coming up with a new API for insurance. We doled out the tasks and trusted that each other would work on what they needed to. Because we knew the other would do what they were supposed to, we could focus on our own tasks and were able to finish ahead of schedule.
2.888889	We recently had a special project at work and no one could decide on how to handle it. We all decided to assign each part to individuals by pulling names out of a hat then parts of the project. This led to a fair assignment. It was then on us to work with each other to trade or share ideas if someone had a part we had already had thoughts or ideas on. It led to a collaboration we had dreamed of. Each person worked together better knowing there was no favoritism and all goals were the same. To succeed in their part and the part of their co-worker.
2.888889	Actually that happened during a hurricane when the entire community came together to rescue stranded people of which I was one. They had all kinds of boats and brought us to dry land and drove us to a church where we were offered warm food and kindness.
2.888889	I led a committee at work that was building a strategic plan. We broke into sub-groups and studied the issues before us and created goals and built strategies to meet the goals. We met some of the goals which were low hanging fruit. We struggled in getting to other goals. But, we worked as a team and settled on goals and strategies after discussion and debate. It was a team effort.
2.888889	The cooperative approach helped solve the problem. By working together, we were able to come to a mutual decision and work out a solution.
3.000000	I played for my school’s tennis team in college and because tennis is inherently an individual sport, there was a lot of competitiveness between teammates for lineup spots and etc. But when I was captain, I made sure to initiate a lot of team bonding events and instilled a team first mentality, making the whole team closer and more supportive of one another, leading to better team results and a stronger support system.
3.000000	Our work at the time involved overseeing a major event, so it was very much a “all hands on deck” scenario. Everybody had to work together to make sure the event ran smoothly and that guests behaved in a civil manner towards each other. It was a bit stressful, but in the end the event ran as well as it could have, thanks to everybody’s combined efforts.
3.000000	We were tasked with creating a social media presence and multiple platforms. There were multiple individuals on this team and each was assigned with establishing a presence on a platform they were most familiar with. While we all had the same end goal outside of our sub-teams we had very little interaction or input on the other individuals on this project. Eventually we shared our ideas and came to a consensus on how to roll out our social media presence. It was at this time were we offered additional suggestions and eventually reached a consensus and went live. While it was not perfect in the beginning and has since been refined the initial response was positive and has a benefit to the company.
3.000000	For me, this would have been when I worked for Red Bull. My coworkers and I were tasked with selling in 100 displays per person. We worked together as a team to help each other sell in our displays.
3.000000	I worked on a project at a previous workplace involving sending emails to targeted groups of individuals to get webinar registrations. Of the 3 team members, myself included, one of the individuals was struggling to get her portion of the work done. Me and the other peer took the time to ask her what was going on, and if she needed additional support. Turns out she was struggling because of health concerns, and didn’t feel well enoughn to do her part. Me and my other colleague stepped into to help with her portion, and the result was a really nice campaign. Later the ill colleague was helpful to me in another project bevacuse she appreciated the flexibility and understanding.
3.111111	I was young when I had my first baby and me and my husband struggled with money. One day we decided to not be broke anymore, and work opposite shifts, knowing that we would never see each other for weeks. We did this for about a year to save up money for a house, which was way cheaper than renting. Our cooperation and being okay with missing each other, helped get us to buying our first home. If we did not keep working together and persevering, we would not have ever made it. By doing this we helped our children have a better life.
3.222222	This project was for work and while I was the main person in charge everyone chipped in. The end result was a success and the customer was happy. Each person had their own duties and sometimes stepped up to help each other. This was an automation project.
3.333333	Our team was able to complete a project on thousands of acres of property. It took tons of teamwork and everyone staying in communication to accomplish it.
3.444444	A time that others and I worked together to achieve a shared goal would be group projects at my university. I can think of many such occasions where my team members took on different parts of a presentation, to allow it to all come together successfully. By being cooperative and collaborating with my colleagues. I was able to work on a part of a presentation that complemented my colleagues work.
3.444444	about couple years ago at my workplace, i was supposed to have finished my work at 12 am in the morning ( overtime) and i went back home and i was on my bed sleeping already, but my co-worker telephoned me asking me to come back due to an unforseen task, so i went back at 1am and helped her finish the job. The job was delivered on time the next day.
3.444444	It was a project me and my co-workers had to work on, the collaboration effort meant we could handle all the tasks at the same time without too much being put on just one person.
3.555556	When we are overwhelmed or out of office, we have a great back up team to assist with tasks. I’ve also had people reach out to me once I returned to the office and offer to help while I got caught up. Teamwork and that’s what my company has
3.666667	My final college year involved a group capstone project with three peers from design, engineering, and business. While our varied disciplines could have created friction, we proactively fostered trust and transparent communication. We established a norm of valuing all contributions and viewing help-seeking positively. Leveraging our individual strengths for task division, we consistently communicated and offered support when needed. This commitment to mutual reliance and shared goals, rather than individual accolades, resulted in a final product that surpassed what any of us could have accomplished independently. Our successful cooperation was recognized with a faculty award.
3.666667	Generally I stay far away from humans. They’re literally evil demons and from most perspectives they are 100% the wicked actors. There’s a reason most wild life hates or stays away from humans. They give me a bad rep just by being greedy liars. So no I won’t “have anyone’s back” to “succeed”
3.666667	I was working on a group project and we had some arguments. But we sat down and talked about it. At last we helped each other and the project ended up being really successful.
3.666667	During a final year group project at university, my team and I faced a tight deadlines and a complex research topic. We divided tasks based on each person’s strength, regularly checked in with one another and stepped in to help when anyone was falling behind.
3.666667	A time i can remember was when i was in a team of 5 and we had to work together to bring a number of investors to our company. The team leader gave each of us different tasks and deadlines. we worked together diligently to achieve the target set for us and it was an amazing experience as our approach helped us.
3.777778	Im a firefighter so working as a team is essential to success. We have to have complete trust in one another; trust in our abilities, trust in watching out for one another, trust in not leaving one another.
3.777778	I had a friend who had a pipe burst and cause a major leak inside they’re house. They were out of the country when this happened. when he called about the leak i knew we had to react fast cause the leak was already going on for a couple of days. But we got there shut the water off fixed the leak and repaired all the damage.
3.888889	One time we had to bring a TV outside and it was heavy but we worked together and did it it was easy after that and no issues I was happy we worked together and did it I was enjoying the experience of teamwork and I had no issues
4.222222	At my previous job at a small tech startup in Onitsha, we faced a tight deadline for a major software update. The pressure was intense, and the initial attempt to divide the work completely led to integration issues and delays. Recognizing this, we decided to shift to a more collaborative approach, where developers paired up, shared their screens constantly, and troubleshot problems together. This meant pausing individual tasks to help others, actively listening to different perspectives on coding solutions, and providing constant feedback. This shared responsibility and trust in each other’s expertise ultimately allowed us to identify and fix critical bugs much faster than before, leading to a successful launch just hours before the deadline. Our cooperative method ensured everyone felt supported and contributed their best, turning a potential failure into a collective win for the company.
4.444444	When I succeeded with others in cooperative work, it was the first time I built a mobile app in the company where I work. I had little knowledge about the work, but I believed that my co-workers were doing well in the field. I consulted some of them, and we worked as a team and built app that was complicated.
4.777778	I would say, in highschool i had to write a paper on human biology, i had worked with my class beforehand so i trusted them, I knew i had to take the lead because i was extremely motivated on this subject, i took charge, leading my fellow classmates and setting them up for success. Once the paper was done we all got good grades and they kept thanking me for my hard work, I’ve never felt so proud to be a leader and take charge.
5.222222	A few weeks ago, our team collaborated seamlessly to complete a critical project. by supportive each other and sharing responsibility, we enhanced our creativity and efficiency, ultimately achieving a successful outcome that benefited everyone involved.

Bottom Third (Low Scores: < 1.89)
These responses tended to describe basic, situational cooperation in functional or practical terms. The tone was more task-oriented, with limited emotional reflection. Trust was implied, but not often emphasized.

Key Themes:
Meeting deadlines through shared responsibility
Teamwork as logistics or duty
Focus on completing tasks more than building relationships

Top Third (High Scores: > 2.44) These responses painted a more humanized and emotionally resonant view of cooperation. They often included interpersonal nuance, proactive care, and a sense of mutual obligation or trust that extended beyond a single task.

Key Themes:
Stepping in to support struggling teammates
Emphasis on empathy, relationship-building, and shared success
Trust and cooperation described as reciprocal, with long-term effects

Conclusion

Low scorers saw cooperation as routine collaboration—important but somewhat mechanical.
High scorers offered emotionally intelligent accounts of support, trust, and mutual care.

This suggests that higher scores are associated with a deeper relational orientation to cooperation—not just what got done, but how and why it worked emotionally.