The Petronas Twin Towers are iconic skyscrapers in Malaysia. They were completed in 1996, and at the time were the world’s tallest buildings.
The Twin Towers were designed by one architect, but each tower was built by two different contractors – one from Japan and one from South Korea. This was a very clever move, as it made the build a race.
Construction projects are fraught with delays, and with this one decision the planners created an environment where two teams were motivated beyond money to finish as fast as possible. Progress was easy to measure too – each team received real-time feedback by simply looking at the other’s work.
It’s amazing how competitions can lift the performance of those that participate. Of course, there are some circumstances where competitions are not helpful, but overall it’s interesting to consider how your progress may improve by adding conditions that foster the right competitive spirit.
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