--- title: Why Coffee Breaks and Collaboration Win Over Competition description: Team collaboration wins over team competition. image: https://www.jonespr.net/hubfs/Blog_Images/Sales_competition.jpg --- [![](https://www.jonespr.net/hubfs/Blog_Images/Sales_competition.jpg) ](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/why-coffee-breaks-and-collaboration-win-over-competition) # Why Coffee Breaks and Collaboration Win Over Competition BY:   [ Kristin Jones ](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/author/kristin-jones) ![Why Coffee Breaks and Collaboration Win Over Competition](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Sales_competition.jpg?width=550&height=190&name=Sales_competition.jpg "Why Coffee Breaks and Collaboration Win Over Competition")   Pop quiz: Name your company’s top three sales people. Now, think about how important they are to your company, and about how you reward high achievement. Chances are you see them as very important, and reward them accordingly, setting them up as the benchmark others in the organization should try to reach. [Margaret Heffernan](http://www.ted.com/speakers/margaret_heffernan), former CEO of five businesses and author of the management book Willful Blindness, says that kind of pecking order organization is actually hurting performance in the workplace. Individual high achievers often get there by bringing others down, she says, while groups that get to know each other, with enough comfort to be honest and candid, have the potential to create the greatest new ideas.[(Click to Tweet)](http://ctt.ec/cbPfx) “What matters is the mortar, not just the bricks,” she says, referring to the connections between people. “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people have ideas.” Which of the suggestions from her [TEDTalk](http://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_why_it_s_time_to_forget_the_pecking_order_at_work) can you implement to help build social capital in your organization? Along with the more informal connections Heffernan says companies should foster, formal communication such as [service level agreements](https://www.jonespr.net/how-to-calculate-your-lead-goals-for-sales-and-marketing) between sales and marketing help prevent the us vs. them mentality and encourage greater [collaboration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoVdbyXOeIE). Is your company already leaning away from the “super-chicken” model toward that of creating a healthy flock? What steps have you taken to increase and improve relationships between employees? Or what do you wish your company would do?   We’d love to hear your ideas.   ## 6 Steps To Creating Enviable Brands Download our guide 6 Steps to Creating Enviable Brands to learn the crucial steps you should follow to create an enviable brand for your company. [![Download](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/402746/63d8c289-feca-4c85-9a13-63fa2e9331e4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/402746/63d8c289-feca-4c85-9a13-63fa2e9331e4) ![sb_6StepsToEnviableBrands](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/CTAs/Campaign%20Name%20Scorecard/sb_6StepsToEnviableBrands.jpg?width=220&height=260&name=sb_6StepsToEnviableBrands.jpg) ![Half Dotted Circle Background](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Jones%20the%20Agency%20Website/Images/Blog/CTA%20Graphics/Half%20Dotted%20Circle%20Background.png?width=136&height=264&name=Half%20Dotted%20Circle%20Background.png) --- ## **Keeping Up with Kristin** ![Kristin Jones BW photo 2017](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Kristin%20Jones%20BW%20photo%202017.jpg?width=640&height=640&name=Kristin%20Jones%20BW%20photo%202017.jpg) [![Octavia-LinkedIn-2](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Jones%20the%20Agency%20Website/Images/Blog/Blog%20Post%20Page/Octavia-LinkedIn-2.png?width=39&height=39&name=Octavia-LinkedIn-2.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjonespr/) [![Red Twitter Icon](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Jones%20the%20Agency%20Website/Images/Blog/Blog%20Post%20Page/Red%20Twitter%20Icon.png?width=39&height=39&name=Red%20Twitter%20Icon.png)](https://twitter.com/kcjonespr) I enjoy traveling the globe to meet with clients, educate companies about all things PR and Inbound Marketing, and speak at industry events. Meet up with me when I’m in your city. Where will I be next? [Meet Kristin](https://www.jonespr.net/meetings/kristinjones/networking-call-with-kristin-jones) ## Subscribe to Eight Arms Subscribe to the Eight Arms blog to get our most recent content. [![Subscribe](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/402746/a921f342-e657-4bca-b6bf-48dbea1e0628.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/402746/a921f342-e657-4bca-b6bf-48dbea1e0628) ![Jugling Octavia Left Facing](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Website%20Images/Octavia%20Webpage/Jugling%20Octavia%20Left%20Facing.png?width=564&height=471&name=Jugling%20Octavia%20Left%20Facing.png) ## Related Posts [![Good Things Happen When Sales & Marketing Connect](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Blog_310_Sales.jpg?width=352&name=Blog_310_Sales.jpg) ](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/good-things-happen-when-sales-marketing-connect) ### [Good Things Happen When Sales & Marketing Connect](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/good-things-happen-when-sales-marketing-connect) [![Could Procrastination Give Your Marketing Team More Creativity?](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Blog_318_Procrastination.jpg?width=352&name=Blog_318_Procrastination.jpg) ](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/could-procrastination-give-your-marketing-team-more-creativity) ### [Could Procrastination Give Your Marketing Team More Creativity?](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/could-procrastination-give-your-marketing-team-more-creativity) [![](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/2024%20Images/JPR-BlogImages-0724-111.jpg?width=352&name=JPR-BlogImages-0724-111.jpg) ](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/the-skills-gap-most-b2b-tech-marketing-teams-are-quietly-working-around) ### [The Skills Gap Most B2B Tech Marketing Teams Are Quietly Working Around](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/the-skills-gap-most-b2b-tech-marketing-teams-are-quietly-working-around) [MEET THE JONESES](https://www.jonespr.net/meet-the_joneses) [HOW WE DO IT](https://www.jonespr.net/how-we-do-it) [HUBSPOT CRETIFIED](https://www.jonespr.net/certified-partner) [EIGHT ARMS BLOG](https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog) [info@jonespr.net](mailto:info@jonespr.net)   [![pinterest_icon](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Jones_PR_Project/images/pinterest_icon.png?width=30&height=28&name=pinterest_icon.png) ](https://www.pinterest.com/JONESMarketing/) [![facebook](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/facebook.png?width=28&height=28&name=facebook.png) ](https://www.facebook.com/339371666253250) [![twitter](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/twitter.png?width=28&height=28&name=twitter.png) ](https://twitter.com/scottmjonespr) [![linkedin_icon](https://www.jonespr.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Jones_PR_Project/images/linkedin_icon.png?width=30&height=28&name=linkedin_icon.png) ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/jones-public-relations/mycompany/) [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/402746/0546161d-c180-455c-9a73-2d081075b1d4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/402746/0546161d-c180-455c-9a73-2d081075b1d4) ### Want to Keep Up? We’ll take you from where you are to where you want to be. [![Join Jones](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/402746/c6b47f77-1192-4498-85be-10c0cbd9c80a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/402746/c6b47f77-1192-4498-85be-10c0cbd9c80a) ### Refer a Friend Do you know a company that has the potential to become the envy of its industry?  If so, refer your friends to us. If they join Jones, we’ll give you a $500 Visa gift card. [Make an Introduction Today * *](https://www.jonespr.net/refer_a_friend?__hstc=11961003.1a5be42b66ef27d6cab66ae83c913d43.1697645107592.1700161460234.1700240011412.5&__hssc=11961003.1.1700240011412&__hsfp=561747742) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kristin Jones", "url" : "https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/author/kristin-jones" }, "dateModified" : "2021-02-08T21:09:12.548Z", "datePublished" : "2015-10-14T13:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Why Coffee Breaks and Collaboration Win Over Competition", "image" : [ "https://www.jonespr.net/hubfs/Blog_Images/Sales_competition.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.jonespr.net/eight-arms-blog/why-coffee-breaks-and-collaboration-win-over-competition", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.jonespr.net/hubfs/JonesLogo-RGB-1.png" }, "name" : "Jones PR" } } ```