Why You Should Never Play Favorites at Work

It does not matter if you are the boss or an employee, you should never play favorites at work. Yes, you are going to naturally like some people more than others, not only for their work ethic either. Most people are drawn to the aura of specific individuals. Not to mention, it is hard not to want to avoid the person with bad breath, or play favorites to the person who always finds the time to bring bagels Friday morning. However, as much as you may prefer one person over another, you need to keep your opinions to yourself. Well, at least until you get home and you can rant to the dog; he is sure to hang on your every word.

Bosses + Favorites = Bad News

If you are the boss, you well lose a lot of respect by playing favorites. It may seem like a great idea when you are talking about others behind closed doors to your chosen few, but it will come back to bite you in the bottom in a big way. If you think there will never be a day when your favorites won’t be mad at you and run their mouth out of anger, telling everyone what you say about them; you are wrong.

Statistics show that 75 percent of employees have indeed witnessed favoritism in the workplace. Do you know what this does to those who are not the favorite employee? Besides hurt their feelings and make them not want to work there, it reduces morale. How do you expect to motivate a staff when they secretly know that you could care less about them? This is especially true if you let someone get away with everything. You simply cannot reprimand one person for being late when you let the tall redhead with the great legs sneak by you a few minutes late every morning. Lawsuits are prevalent today; you are asking for one.

Don’t Pick a Favorite Boss

Being a good employee means not picking a favorite boss. Yes, you still have to do your work and be on time, but you also have to stay neutral when it comes to bosses. You can run and complain to one boss about the other and think that it will never get back to them, but it will. They will be having drinks after a round of golf one day and it will slip. Then what? You look like a whining baby, that’s what! What happens when your favorite boss quits, transfers or is fired? Are you going to grab the office goldfish and follow them out the door Jerry McGuire style?

Sucking up to one boss will not get you ahead in your career. If anything, you will be signing your career death sentence that will rear its ugly head as the most inconvenient time possible.