12 Ways to Reduce Favoritism in the Workplace

When your boss plays favorites, it can take a heavy toll on your emotional wellbeing and productivity. Your morale might dwindle when you see an apparently less-deserving coworker receiving plum assignments and more desirable hours.

On the other hand, even if you happen to be the one in favor, there can still be a downside when management behaves unprofessionally.

Take control of the situation. Use these suggestions to help you stay motivated and shine at your job, even if your boss engages in preferential treatment.

What to Do When You’re The Favorite

Being your boss’s favorite may sound like you won the lottery. However, there are potential pitfalls that you may want to prepare for.

Use these strategies to make your workplace more equitable:

1. Challenge yourself. If your boss places few demands on you, create your own opportunities to learn and grow. Sign up for training courses and volunteer for tough assignments.
2. Ask for feedback. While it’s pleasant to receive praise from your supervisor, you also need critical feedback to assess your performance and potential. Let your boss know that you appreciate suggestions about areas where you need to grow. Find colleagues you can trust, and ask them to tell you how you’re doing.
3. Share the glory. Minimize conflicts and resentments by sharing your advantages with others. Divide up the credit for team victories. Strive to create an inclusive workplace.
4. Encourage professionalism. You may even be able to use your position to help management reduce favoritism. Support trainings and other programs that support fair policies and practices. Be a positive role model for impartiality if you have employees who report to you.
5. Look ahead. Keep in mind that your preferred status could change. Base your career path on your achievements instead of relying on being buddies with your boss.

What to Do When You’re Not the Favorite

Does your boss forget your name, but he takes the guy in the next cubicle out to lunch at least once a week?

Try these tips for reinforcing your sense of self-worth:

1. Strengthen your skills. Focus on increasing your capacity. Put your heart into your work, regardless of whether your boss notices.
2. Advocate for yourself. Open doors for yourself. Raise your visibility inside and outside of your company by participating in meetings, writing reports, and proposing new ideas.
3. Stay neutral. Resist the urge to take rejection personally. Be friendly and helpful toward your boss.
4. Talk with your boss. If possible, try to maintain effective communications with your supervisor. Ask for one-on-one meetings. Clarify their expectations so you know their priorities and can channel your time and resources accordingly.
5. Seek common ground. It may also help to find some mutual interests that you and your boss can talk about. Research their background to see if they share your passion for scuba diving or growing roses. Maybe you both grew up in small towns or minored in drama at college.
6. Build other relationships. While you’re trying to make progress with your boss, you can also cultivate other connections that will be beneficial to your career and your level of job satisfaction. Reach out to your peers at work and in other companies. Attend networking events. Find yourself a mentor.
7. Know your rights. In some cases, favoritism goes beyond being just unpleasant, and you may want to consider legal remedies. An employment lawyer can explain your options if you suspect that discrimination or harassment is taking place.

Protect your career and peace of mind from the consequences of favoritism in the office. Maintain your own professional standards and team spirit, and focus on excelling at your work.

Making Office Friends Without Losing Personal Time

Workplace friendships play an important part in your job satisfaction and overall happiness. Unfortunately, studies show that camaraderie in the office is on the decline, and time pressures may be adding to the challenge.

The number of Americans saying they have a close friend at work dropped from 50% in 1985 down to 30% in 2004, according to a recent New York Times article. Meanwhile, a Gallup poll found that work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%.

How can you avoid feeling isolated at work if competitive pressures make it difficult to bond during the day, and your evenings and weekends are tied up with personal and family responsibilities? Turn things around by exploring these ideas for making friends at work even on a busy schedule.

Steps to Take on Your Own

Manage expectations. As important as professional relationships are, keep them in perspective. Your family and personal friends will probably remain your closest and most reliable connections.

Stay humble. It’s easy for busy bragging to become competitive. Remember that your peers are juggling their own obligations.

Track your hours. Maybe you can free up some time in your schedule for office events or other activities. Notice how much time you spend on unnecessary phone calls or internet browsing.

Assess the culture. Hitting roadblocks when you try to bond with your colleagues could be a sign that you’re a mismatch with the organizational culture. Decide if you can adapt or need to move on.

Focus your efforts. Maybe you’re naturally reserved or office cliques are walling you out. Think in terms of quality rather than quantity. Becoming friendly with one or two peers can still make a big difference.

Steps to Take with Your Coworkers

1. Offer assistance. Your coworkers are likely to welcome your overtures if you’re looking for ways to help them shine. Be generous with sharing your time, labor, and expertise. Volunteer for group projects and active committees.
2. Be vulnerable. While you’re entitled to your privacy, it’s important to let your colleagues get to know you. Look for appropriate opportunities to discuss your experiences and opinions. Use humor to relieve stress and boost morale. Express your appreciation for the things you like about your job.

Take advantage of technology. Emails and texting are a quick way to communicate when you’re pressed for time. Send your boss an interesting photo when you’re on a site visit.

Talk face to face. On the other hand, interacting in person allows for deeper and more memorable exchanges. If you telecommute, drop by the office for some regular hours each week.

Grab a bite. Food facilitates socializing. Eat your sandwich in the breakroom where you can chat with others. Pick 3 contacts you want to have coffee with this month and send them an invitation.

Mingle more. Instead of hanging out with the guy in the next cubicle, sit next to someone from another department at the next staff meeting. Do routine work in common areas where you can learn about what others are doing.

Travel together. Business trips are an ideal opportunity to escape the daily routine and talk with fewer interruptions. Maybe you can even find someone to commute with.

Join alumni networks. Now that employees change jobs more frequently, some larger companies are forming alumni networks to help such a mobile workforce stay in touch. Ask your employer about starting a group if you’d like to participate.

You don’t have to choose between nourishing relationships at work and pursuing your personal priorities. Use your time wisely so you can bond with your colleagues and still lead a balanced life.

Are you Focused on Making Progress or Maintaining the Status Quo?

Many people erroneously believe they’re making progress because they’re working hard. A good way to predict the direction of your life is to measure how much of your time you’re actually trying to enhance it. Then consider how much of your time is spent just maintaining the status quo.

Most people believe they want something better and are working hard to accomplish it. In most cases, they’re expending a lot of mental energy wishing, fantasizing, and worrying. None of these are reliable ways to enhance your life. What have you done this week that will take your life to the next level? If you’re like most people, you haven’t done much.

Change is challenging, because there’s uncertainty. Familiarity is comforting, even if you’re unhappy. Most people naturally gravitate toward the familiar even if they’re miserable. If you can become comfortable with the prospect of change, progress is easy.

Be brave enough to create the change you desire:

1. Working hard isn’t enough. If you’re working hard on the wrong things, you’ll never see any progress. Effort matters, but only if you’re spending your time wisely. If you want to see real change, it’s necessary to spend time doing constructive things above and beyond what is required to live your current life.
2. Have you learned anything new lately? Learning new information can help to create change, if you use the information. What are you doing instead of learning? Watching the same TV shows? You’re maintaining the status quo. New information leads to new understandings.
3. Are you spending time with anyone new? Hanging out with the same people each day is another good way to ensure that nothing changes. New people can change your perspective and introduce you to new ideas.
   
4. Are you doing anything new? The same gym workout repeated over and over again will ensure that you neither gain nor lose ground. The same behaviors deliver the same, reliable results.

• Going into the same job and providing the same efforts ensures the same paycheck.
• Thinking the same thoughts results in the same actions.
• Same hobbies? No changes coming.

1. What did you do today? At the end of each day, ask yourself two questions:

• If I lived this same day over and over for the next 20 years, what would my finances, health, social life, and relationships look like?
• Did I do anything today to take my life to the next level, or did I ensure that nothing will change in the future?
• Write your responses in a journal. You’ll tire of not having anything interesting to write. You’ll spend more time trying to make a difference in your life. The answer to these two questions can predict the future better than you think.

1. Do you have goals? Do you measure your progress? Goals are nothing more than desired changes. If you have goals and you’re making progress, you can expect to see progress in your life.

• You’re choosing to maintain the status quo if you don’t have concrete goals. Any changes you experience will be due to random chance.

Most people claim they want a better life, but few are doing anything to make it happen. It’s easier to wish than to face uncertainty.

If you’re working hard but failing to gain any ground, spend some time each day doing something that will give you the chance to accomplish something new in the future. The more time you spend this way, the more progress you’ll make toward the life you desire.

Is a Returnship For You?

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, a returnship may be what you need to build a bridge to your next job. It’s basically an internship designed for older and more experienced employees.

The concept was pioneered by Goldman Sachs in 2008, and has spread to more than 100 other companies. While professional women who took time off to have children are the most obvious candidates, it may be worthwhile for anyone who’s followed a nontraditional career path.

Show employers that you can still make a contribution. Take a look at how to use a returnship to relaunch your professional life.

Finding a Returnship

Browse online. Some organizations like iRelaunch and Path Forward specialize in providing resources for returning professionals. You can also search for information on LinkedIn and other general career sites.

Attend conferences. Industry events such as conferences and happy hours are an efficient way to meet company representatives face to face. Be ready to follow up if they express interest.

Use word of mouth. You can use your network for returnship leads the same way you rely on it for job hunting. Ask for introductions and referrals.

Contact previous employers. Maybe your last employer runs a reentry program or would like to start one. Invite a former colleague out to test the waters.

Go back to school. Smart companies are recruiting seasoned professionals from university continuing education programs. If you’re already taking courses, talk with your professors or check the campus career center.

Completing a Returnship

1. Clarify your expectations. Most programs offer no guarantee of employment, but some hire a high percentage of their graduates. Compensation also varies widely from no pay to a competitive rate. Ensure you understand and agree with the terms.
2. Find a mentor. Ideally, you’ll be assigned a mentor who can guide you through your transition. If not, see if you can find an employee you admire, and make your own arrangement.

Support your classmates. Being in a reentry program with other participants has its advantages. You can share experiences, encouragement, and feedback.

Expand your network. Use your temporary position to make lasting connections. Introduce yourself to at least 3 new colleagues each week. Attend social events and communicate in person when possible instead of relying on email.

Gather references. Are you running low on recent references? Once you make a positive impression, you can start asking others to vouch for you. That may include the program coordinator, your fellow returnees, and other company executives.

Brush up your skills. Maybe there was no such thing as coding and Groupon the last time you sat in a cubicle. Seek out tasks that will update your technology skills and help bring you up to speed on industry trends.

Polish your resume. Now that you’ve done the background work, you can put together a resume that search engines and hiring managers will love. Pay attention to effective keywords. Highlight your accomplishments and customize your pitch for each position.

Explore other options. While returnships offer many benefits, your career strategy needs to suit your individual strengths and vision. You may prefer to look for a permanent position immediately. You may decide that branding yourself as a contract worker or independent consultant better suits your professional image.

Preparing for the second act in your career is probably going to require more than sending out resumes. A returnship is one way to adjust back to office culture and a 9 to 5 routine while you develop new contacts and update your skills.

How to be a Productive Night Owl

Does the early bird get the worm? Maybe. But there is a lot to be said for staying up late, too. Some people do their best work after everyone else has gone to sleep. Night owls get a bad rap for being lazy slackers, but those late-night hours can be some of the best for getting meaningful work accomplished.

Use the late evening hours to your advantage:

1. Maintain seven to eight hours of sleep. Just because you went to bed at 2:00 a.m. doesn’t mean you can sleep until noon. Too much sleep will leave you groggy and much less ineffective for the first few hours you’re awake.

• Getting too little sleep is also detrimental. Sleep studies have shown that everyone does better on seven hours of sleep than they do on six or less. Everyone.

1. Consider a nap. No matter when you go to bed, there is a point during the day when your alertness takes a nosedive. For those that work a typical 8-5 job, that low point is around 2:00 p.m. Depending on when you go to sleep and wake up, your low point will vary. If possible, this is the perfect time to take a 30 to 60-minute nap.
2. Have a morning routine. Late risers still need a morning routine to get the day off on the right foot. Create a routine that gets you started and prepares you for a productive evening.
3. Think about the morning. When you’d still like to sleep for a few more hours, the rest of the world is getting busy. Cars are driving up and down the street. Your spouse or roommates are making noise. The phone starts ringing. Not to mention that pesky sun starts lighting up the world.

• Be prepared for these things. Turn the phone ringer off. Get blinds and curtains for the windows. Consider the use of ear plugs or a white-noise generator.
  

1. Use the time wisely. There’s no point to staying up late if you don’t use the time productively. The early morning and late night hours have the fewest distractions. As a night owl, use the later hours for your creative work and enjoy the peace and quiet.

• Get your more mundane work, like returning phone calls and answering emails, done during the active parts of the day.

1. Have a hard cutoff time. It can be tough to stop when it’s 4:00 a.m., and the creative juices are still flowing. Consider what happens to the following day if you stay up too late. Your sleep cycle is disturbed, and your day is off-schedule. Have a set time where you call it a night and go to bed.

• Have a set wake-up time, too. Night owls tend to be long, undisciplined sleepers. This is a mistake and lowers your effectiveness.
• An evening routine can also be helpful. It can be hard to unwind and go to sleep after working furiously for a few hours. Avoid allowing work to be the last thing you do before going to bed. Spend at least 30 minutes unwinding. Listen to peaceful music, read, or watch a little television.

Not everyone is cutout to be an early riser. Some of the most amazing people in history were night owls. Winston Churchill, Bob Dylan, Barack Obama, and Voltaire are just a few examples. Productive night owls are rarer than productive early birds. However, some people do their best work later in the evening.

How the Top 1% Think

The top 1% aren’t just working harder than the bottom 99%. You can’t grunt your way to the top. High levels of success do require hard work, but the work must be smart, too. The bottom 99% are focused on the wrong things, prioritize short-term comfort over success, and fail to take enough action.

The top 1% aren’t smarter or more capable, but they do use their time wisely and manage themselves effectively.

Understand the differences between the top 1% and everyone else:

1. Being the only one is better than being the best. One famous quote goes, “Competition is for losers.” While the average person that wants to aspire to great accomplishments is concerned with being the best, the ultra-successful look for ways to avoid competition. Create a new market or field. Be the only one.
2. They attack the day early. They get a good start on the day. While the other 99% are trying to figure out what to do, the top 1% are already busy. They have enthusiasm in the morning and make the most of the early hours.
   
3. Action trumps knowledge. The top 1% are knowledgeable, but they know a secret. A good plan that is followed aggressively and persistently always beats a great plan that’s implemented half-heartedly.

• Know what you need to know and then get busy making it happen. An unquenchable thirst for knowledge is often fear in disguise.

1. Goals are achieved by systems. A system of eating nutritiously and exercising results in health and fitness. A system of saving and investing leads to wealth. The top 1% look for effective systems to implement. With the right systems in place, goals are attained automatically.
2. They have priorities. Having too many priorities results in having none. You can’t be a world-class artist, dog trainer, yoga expert, and bowler. Be strong enough to whittle down your priorities to the few that truly matter the most to you. Having too many priorities is a path to mediocrity.
3. The top 1% make networking a priority. You can never have too many friends. Good networking skills can be learned by anyone. Having many long-term acquaintances can be powerful. You’ll have a constant supply of assistance and opportunities. Knowing the right people is an important part of becoming part of the top 1%.
4. They make money a priority. They’re not just good at saving. They’re also good at investing their money wisely. They pay their bills on time, avoid unnecessary debt, and get professional help when necessary. Manage your money wisely and join them.
5. They are aware of their weaknesses. The top 1% know what they can and can’t do. They avoid their weaknesses or find a way to deal with them. Play to your strengths.
6. They focus on the long term. Delaying gratification is a key to becoming highly successful. Let the average people satisfy their short-term cravings. Keep your eye on the grand prize.
7. They emphasize finding solutions to their challenges. The key to making a lot of money or achieving challenging goals is resolving your challenges. Search for solutions and avoid getting too hung up on the issue itself. Find a possible solution and get to work.

Anyone can become part of the top 1%, but it requires a change in thinking and focus. Set your priorities and stick to them. Manage your money wisely and network like your life depends on it. Focus on developing the right systems to achieve your goals and emphasize action. Only action will bring the results you desire.