Nowadays getting and keeping a job in a big company is no easy task at all.
If you are unable to perform your duties in a satisfactory manner, then you are immediately fired.
Companies only wish to have on board those who know the job well and are able to have a hands on approach towards work. This having been said, not all workplaces have an ideal work environment.
A common problem in the workplace is the practice of favoritism. Dealing with favoritism in the workplace is no easy task at all.
17 Tips to Deal With Favoritism in the workplace:
1. Be very sure of yourself from the onset:
Weak minded people are easily influenced by the smallest of things.
In the course of your career there will be many adverse situations that will present itself before you. It is your job to overcome things and to learn something from your experiences.
A person who is lacking a great deal in confidence might feel a little bad when someone else is favored instead of him.
So it is for this reason, you should be sure of yourself and confidence in your own ability so that you have nothing to worry about.
2. To what extent is the favoritism present?
Rather than immediately acting out and taking a stand against the favoritism which is prevalent in your workplace, it is advisable that you think about to what extent is the favoritism prevalent.
If the favoritism is of a harmless kind then you need not fret about it a great deal.
As opposed to that if you think that the favoritism being carried out is of an absolutely toxic nature then it is advisable that you do not endure it.
If someone is favored for no good reason then that might be a terrible blow to your own ego and self respect. In the workplace, everyone should be treated equally so that no one feels bad.
3. Do not change yourself to suit others:
In order to deal with favoritism in the workplace many people make the mistake of trying to change themselves in order to get noticed.
If you have noticed that your manager is someone who favors a particular employee then you should not try to be more like the individual who is being favored.
Rather than constantly trying to alter your personality to suit the wants and needs of others, you should always try to maintain your own individuality.
If you try to be something which you are not, then sooner or later people will surely dismiss you as someone who is very fake.
4. Keep your own mannerisms mature at all times:
Irrespective of how things are functioning around you in your place of work, you should always be very mature.
If you act in a mature manner and show that you will not try and adapt yourself to the faulty system people will immediately respect you and change their ways.
Favoritism is something which is prevalent simply because people indulge in it. The moment people realize that, indulging in favoritism is childish, they will stop immediately.
So show that you are someone who has risen above all this pettiness and that will help you to effectively deal with this problem at your work place.
5. Keep doing your best and you too will be noticed:
Many people are extremely affected when this practice is carried out in their workplace.
However rather than feeling very bad about things are in your workplace, you should just concentrate all your efforts into doing your job very well so that you are noticed none the less.
Would you really want to be an employee who is favored for no reason at all?
You should strive to be someone who is noticed solely for the good work you do under all circumstances. If you do this, people will surely respect you at all times throughout your professional career.
6. Don’t take your anger out on the person being favored:
One of the worst ways to deal with this situation is actually going ahead and taking out your anger on the person who is being favored.
Very often the person who is being favored does nothing to get this attention at all. So it is very important that you too are fair at all points in time and do not get angry at the person.
If you do something like this, chances are that you might get into a fair bit of trouble at the workplace.
Anger is something which is very negative and you should not let your anger take possession of your mind and powers of reasoning.
7. Speak to a superior about the issue if that’s possible:
If you are unable to deal with the situation on your own, you should talk to the boss in the office and tell him about who exactly is indulging this practice.
At such a time being vocal is of paramount importance. If you do not make the boss aware of the problem which is taking place among his staff then things are sure to turn from bad to worse.
Before you speak to your boss, think about concrete examples of when the manager concerned has favored a person unfairly. Do not go about complaining with nothing to back up your argument.
8. Try talking directly to the person concerned:
If you have it is you, you should pluck up the courage to just speak to the person concerned.
So that he will realize his mistake and also realize that others too have taken notice of the manner in which he has been acting.
9. Speak to your family and ask what they would do:
At such times of crisis, our family members are the ones who help up to deal with obstacles which happen to come our way.
So rather than trying to keep your issue bottled up inside you, take the trouble to speak with your family members.
Venting out your problem is sure to help you feel a lot better about yourself. They may not give you amazing advice but they will surely give you a shoulder to cry on.
10. Consult a mentor or a career counselor for professional advice:
A good way to deal with this issue is by consulting a mentor or a career counselor.
Such individuals are professionals and they will surely know exactly how you should behave. Seeking professional help is always a good way to tackle any work related problems.
11. Ask your colleagues if they feel the same way:
Try talking to your colleagues and see if they too have been noticing the favoritism which has been taking place.
If you find that they too feel the same way, then all of you can sit together and try to come up with a common solution for the issue.
In this way, you could also get a little closer to the people you work with.
12. Do not spend too much of your time thinking over this:
It is but natural to feel a little hurt when someone is being favored in the workplace but rather than wasting too much of your time trying to get your head wrapped around this, you should just think about things which are more important. This is a very effective way to deal with favoritism in the work place.
So try to keep yourself busy with assignments as well as projects so that this minor problem does not play on your mind for too long a period of time.
Keep in mind that time is of the essence so just get your work done and head home rather than getting emotionally evolved.
13. Do not become someone who is constantly seeking approval:
One of the worst things you can do is become someone who is constantly trying to seek approval just so that you become the employees’ favorite. This is something which is very low indeed.
The moment you start doing this, your employer himself is bound to lose respect for you.
It is often said that once you try to please everyone you will end up pleasing no one. So rather than trying to please others focus on doing justice to yourself.
Employees who constantly seek approval become a great source of irritation and silently communicate to the employers that they are unsure of what they are doing.
14. Do not show that this affects you in any way:
In the business world there are individuals who will always try to play with your feelings and cash in on your vulnerabilities.
The moment you show any signs of weakness, people are bound to take advantage of this. So as far as it is possible ignore this situation.
As long as you are getting your salary and no one is mistreating you in any way, you should endure the negative side of your work place.
As said, no work place is perfect, so maybe trying your best to ignore the favoritism may teach you to become a more patient individual.
15. Understand that this is a common problem:
Favoritism is a common issue in the workplace so rather than thinking that you are alone in this mess think about how many others there must be who are dealing with a similar situation.
Believe it or not, this issue is more common than you think. So rather than wallowing in self pity or thinking that your life is a mess, just learn to deal with things.
Even if others do not have a professional attitude, that does not mean you too should stop acting in the manner which is expected of you.
This having being said, even if someone is making you their favorite, you too should discourage such behavior towards you.
16. Try to understand why the employee is being favored:
It is very important to get to the root of the matter. Spend some time thinking about why the person concerned is being favored in the first place?
Is it because the person is very good at their work or is it for some other reason entirely.
If you happen to find out that the reason has absolutely nothing to do with the office, then you should just ignore it as it is something which is entirely out of your hands.
Very often employers favor employees who are friends with them outside the workplace or are even distant relatives.
17. Change your place of work if things go too far:
If you happen to take note of the fact that things have just gotten too out of control for your liking then you should not think twice before you actually go ahead and hand in your letter of resignation.
In big and successful companies such problems and issues should not be prevalent. You should never work in a company which you are unhappy with.
The moment you find that something is against what it is that you believe in, then you should quit immediately.
You should never even consider putting yourself through such trouble as it is only going to affect your health adversely.
Final Words:
You need not try to carry out all the suggestions and solutions which have been mentioned above. All that you need to do is practice one or two things which will improve your situation the most.
When working in a competitive environment, things like this are very likely to occur but you should try your best to rise above all of this. The moment you let negativity get to you, both your mind and body will be affected in a negative manner.
Always do what you think is best so that your conscience is clear and you have nothing to worry about.
