Have you ever felt that your hard work is not being recognised?
Do you feel neglected or sidelined by your boss?
Does a certain employee always get the limelight?
Favoritism at the workplace refers to someone being favored over other team members.
Sometimes favoritism occurs when a manager and an employee have developed a friendship beyond the workplace.
Such situations can lead to a lot of mental and physical stress. Some people may experience aches and pains, anxiety and a feeling of unproductiveness. We often experience a strong biological, psychosocial reaction to perceived injustice and this can limit our ability to think rationally and respond proactively.
Well known artist, Mary Engelbreit, said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”
The power of seeing things differently can be very useful. If you truly believe you are being treated unfairly, one option to consider is if you can change this situation. This may include sharing your concerns with the HR team, requesting change of teams, or changing your workplace. However, it may not always be feasible or possible to change such situations. Hence, a change in perspective may help.
It is important to stop seeing yourself as a victim as it may erode your energy further. One way of thinking about the situation is to use this as an opportunity to test one’s abilities, gather more feedback, and use work as a source of satisfaction instead of being dependent on external praise.
Next time you find yourself in such a situation, remind yourself… “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”
