Few bad management practices can destroy office morale faster than a manager who plays favourites. Accompanying the disillusionment of the staff members, with the guilty employer, is much lower productivity and work output levels. Instead of creating a state of harmony, employee mistrust and resentment is the usual result of choosing the office version of the teacher's pet.
There are several ways that favourites can be selected. Some singling out of golden employees are flagrant and intentional, and easily seen and understood by the staff. Other forms of favouritism are less well known and may even be completely unintentional on the part of the manager.
Perhaps the best known relationship is the office romance. The manager will often heap benefits on the object of their affection. Those fringe benefits are very often company property and not part of the beloved's job description. Many companies have rules against office liaisons for a reason.
Attachments between peers may only cause limited damage, and are often good matches, and may even help worker morale. Of course, not all relationships end well, and any dalliance may cause severe repercussions as well. A very real problem arises when a much superior manager dates someone far below their company level. Sadly, many of these circumstances can also involve sexual harassment and other illegal and coercive activities.
Another form of picking and choosing favours involves the ubiquitous "old boys network". Often, these staff members go back many years in the current or different organizations. They are very often good friends outside of work as well; and have been that way for years. Managers in this situation are very susceptible to giving special treatment to their long time buddies. Very often, as well, the old friend may not be a very good worker. As usual, the other members of the staff are quick to notice the disparity in treatment and office morale drops like the proverbial rock. Staff productivity soon follows on that same downward spiral.
A less well known, but also frequent special treatment arrangement, occurs with an employee who was credited with some great achievement. If the award was deserved, the staff members will applaud the reward, and work harder to join the ranks of the elite. "Employee of the Month" awards can be very motivational for some employees. On the other hand, handing the award to the undeserving (in the eyes of the staff) can lower morale very quickly. They will see the award is not based on merit but on other less desirable intangibles. Lower office morale is the usual next step in the process.
A fourth, and very difficult to handle issue arises involving staff with children. Very often, a parent will be given permission to leave work to attend a sick child. On the surface, the action appears good and helpful. Beneath that glittering surface, however, lie the seeds of dissension. Non-parents may view the parents as receiving special treatment in the form of time off that is unavailable to childless or unmarried staff members. To prevent this asymmetry, a good manager will provide alternative time off, or a block of time that can be used for personal or family reasons. With the unnamed time block, all staff members receive the same treatment regarding away time.
If you are serious about being a good and fair manager, it is essential that you not play favourites among staff members. Not only does it build resentment, but it costs the company money. Poor staff relations and lowered business revenue are not good for anyone.
Play fair and your business and staff relations will prosper.
