Co-opetition: The Key to Breaking Down Silos and Boosting Performance

Victoria Grainger
5 days ago
2 min read

By Victoria Grainger, Wellness Works Canada

Across every sector, organizations are realizing that the challenges we face—worker burnout, climate pressures, and performance demands—are too interconnected to solve in silos. What’s needed now isn’t more competition within or between organizations, but co-opetition: a blend of collaboration and healthy performance expectations.

Research—including a recent integrative review of 20 studies on worker well-being, environmental sustainability, and organizational performance—shows that co-opetition leads to better outcomes across the board. Here’s why:

1. It strengthens worker well-being.

Teams that collaborate share resources, reduce duplication, and communicate more openly. This builds psychological safety, lowers burnout, and boosts engagement and retention.

2. It fuels innovation and environmental action.

When departments and organizations co-create sustainability solutions, employees show higher morale, stronger identification with organizational values, and more innovative, eco-friendly behaviors.

3. It improves organizational performance—directly.

The research is clear:

✔ Higher well-being → higher productivity and retention

✔ Strong sustainability practices → higher innovation and cost savings

✔ Together → they reinforce each other and multiply performance gains

This reflects a true triple bottom line approach where people, planet, and performance move forward together—not in isolation.

4. It benefits organizations of all sizes.

SMEs, nonprofits, public sector, and large corporations all gain from shared tools, shared learning, and cross-sector collaboration. Co-opetition gives smaller organizations access to insights and frameworks they might not otherwise afford.