MasterChef Eliminations - Not the Right Recipe for The Office

The MasterChef contestants have been formed into two teams, and tasked to set up food stands at Cronulla beach on a Saturday morning to feed 500 Surf Life Saver "Nippers" and their parents. The winner is the team with the most takings by 11:30 AM. Winners get a private masterclass at an exotic location, while losers head back to flamin' grill HQ where someone will be 'eliminated'.

It's all part of the game on MasterChef where the intent of the program is to eventually pick a single winner.

But how often have you seen businesses create - or allow staff to create - artificial internal turf wars between groups that are actually playing for the same team?

Whether the competition is about budgets or resources, or simply to gain the attention of senior management, the business and marketing strategy gets all twisted up in bad execution and someone - or multiple people - end up as casualties who are either eliminated, or who just leave.

It's an epic fail on a corporate scale where the owners or shareholders are left to count the cost. Who let this happen? You did, if you are the management. Or if you stood by, watched, and stayed silent.

The point to take away: Pitting teams against one another in any internal competition must be carefully managed to avoid being left with one man left standing. Fine for MasterChef, but it's not OK for your organisation.