Navigating Favoritism in the Workplace: Strategies for Success

Favoritism can be a challenging issue in any work environment. It thrives in organizations where personal connections and informal loyalty often overshadow formal qualifications and performance metrics. While completely eliminating favoritism may be an ideal but impractical goal, there are several steps you can take to mitigate its negative impact on your career.

Understanding the Roots of Favoritism

Favoritism is deeply rooted in the business world. Companies and individuals primarily engage with those they know, like, and trust. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as relationships and personal connections can drive business forward. However, when favoritism becomes unfair or leads to an unbalanced work environment, it can hinder your career progression. It's important to understand that favoritism cannot be entirely stopped any more than you can stop diversity, creativity, or the expression of individual skills.

Creating Your Individual Development Plan (IDP)

To ensure that favoritism doesn’t negatively impact your career goals, start by creating your Individual Development Plan (IDP). An IDP is a personal roadmap outlining your goals and aspirations, both personal and professional, for the next 3, 5, and 10 years. It's essential to:

Define your long-term career goals. Conduct a 360-degree review, considering all aspects of your life, including personal, professional, career, family, friends, community, lifestyle, hobbies, social, spiritual, health, fitness, education, and more. Set tangible, measurable objectives for each area of your life. Identify the skills, qualifications, certifications, training, and experiences you need to acquire to achieve your goals. Develop a career roadmap to align your short-term and long-term goals with your IDP.

Elevating Your Working Relationship with Your Manager

Solidifying a strong working relationship with your manager can significantly enhance your career prospects. Here’s how you can achieve this:

Weekly One-on-Ones: Schedule regular, dedicated one-on-one meetings with your manager. During these sessions, address and discuss: Current task assignments, including priorities and deadlines. Challenges and issues you're facing. Reconfirm assignments and tasks as well as their priorities and deadlines to ensure clear communication. Your intended approach and methods for executing the tasks to stay on track. Early drafts, prototypes, versions, and demos of the work in progress for feedback and guidance. Your performance and seek early feedback to align with meeting expectations and exceeding them. Your personal business commitment goals and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. Your professional development needs and specific skills, qualifications, and training required for future success. Your career aspirations and the skills, experiences, and training needed for the next promotional level. Additional ways to support the team and demonstrate a friendly service attitude.

Refer to“7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Coveyfor insights and further advice on developing these skills.

Staying Professional and Adaptable

Remember that staying professional and adaptable is key. Even if you are not the target of favoritism, the way you handle such situations can impact your reputation and career. Be transparent, communicate clearly, and always strive to add value and demonstrate your worth.

By taking ownership of your career through strategic planning, effective communication, and building strong professional relationships, you can navigate the challenges posed by favoritism and advance your career in a fair and equitable manner.

In conclusion, while favoritism exists in the workplace, it doesn't have to define your career. With the right strategies and mindset, you can navigate these waters and achieve your professional goals.