Ep 14: Favoritism in The Workplace

Summary

In this episode of 'Managing Well,' Tanya Depot explores the complex issue of favoritism in the workplace, distinguishing it from discrimination. She shares a personal story of her first professional job, where her experience was shaped by favoritism and race, shedding light on how such dynamics impact morale and turnover in organizations. Tanya emphasizes the importance of managers recognizing their biases, reflecting on who their favorites are, and ensuring that all employees feel equally supported and valued, regardless of personal preferences. The episode encourages self-awareness and intentional actions to promote fairness in the workplace.

Takeaways

• 😀 Favoritism and discrimination are closely connected, but they are distinct. Favoritism involves treating individuals differently, which may not always reach the level of legal discrimination.
• 😀 Recognizing favoritism in the workplace can be difficult, but it’s essential for improving work culture and addressing unequal treatment.
• 😀 A personal story was shared about experiencing favoritism at a nonprofit agency, where two employees, one Black and one White, were treated very differently despite having the same job responsibilities.
• 😀 The speaker's experience highlights how favoritism affected their mental health, confidence, and overall well-being, contributing to their decision to leave the job.
• 😀 Favoritism leads to emotional and professional consequences, including feelings of being demoralized and unsupported in the workplace.
• 😀 The broader impact of favoritism includes the effect on other employees, as witnessing unfair treatment lowers morale and can increase turnover rates.
• 😀 As a people manager or leader, acknowledging personal biases and the tendency to have favorites is natural, but it's crucial to act on these feelings in a fair and equitable way.
• 😀 Self-awareness is important: managers should reflect on why they connect more with certain people, such as shared experiences or personal affinities, but ensure these biases don’t translate into unequal treatment.
• 😀 When favoritism manifests, it may look like providing better assignments, more coaching, or flexible work conditions for favored individuals, which can create disparities in the workplace.
• 😀 Leaders must make everyone feel valued, regardless of personal preferences, by providing equal opportunities, coaching, and flexibility to all team members.
• 😀 The takeaway for leaders is to be intentional about treating everyone in a similar manner, ensuring fair opportunities and addressing individual needs without letting favoritism impact their actions.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in this podcast episode?

The main topic discussed is favoritism in the workplace, and the difference between favoritism and discrimination.

How does the speaker distinguish between favoritism and discrimination?

Favoritism involves treating people differently based on personal preferences, while discrimination involves treating people differently based on protected characteristics, which can lead to legal consequences.

Why does the speaker consider favoritism and discrimination closely connected?

The speaker considers them closely connected because favoritism can lead to discrimination, especially when biases cause someone to treat others unfairly based on personal characteristics such as race or background.

Can you provide an example from the speaker's own experience to illustrate favoritism?

The speaker shares a personal story about working at a nonprofit agency where their white colleague received favorable treatment from their boss, including being assigned to better schools and receiving positive feedback, while the speaker faced harsh criticism and was assigned to schools with fewer resources.

How did the speaker's experience with favoritism affect their mental health?

The speaker's experience with favoritism led to stress, depression, anxiety, and a loss of confidence. They felt demoralized and doubted their abilities in their first professional job.

What role did the speaker's colleague, Kelly, play in helping the speaker understand the situation?

Kelly, the favored colleague, acknowledged the favoritism and discrimination happening in the workplace, providing the speaker with an external perspective that validated their experience, which helped the speaker realize that the unfair treatment was not their fault.

What impact did the favoritism have on the organization beyond the speaker's personal experience?

The favoritism led to a toxic work environment, low morale, and higher turnover. Colleagues noticed the unfair treatment, which impacted their trust in the organization and affected their willingness to stay.

What advice does the speaker give to leaders and managers regarding favoritism?

The speaker advises leaders and managers to recognize their biases and to ensure that all employees feel cared for and valued, regardless of personal preferences. They should treat everyone fairly and give them equal opportunities for growth and support.

What are some signs of favoritism that can manifest in the workplace?

Signs of favoritism include assigning favorable projects or high-visibility tasks to certain employees, offering more coaching and support to preferred individuals, excusing their mistakes, or providing additional perks like more PTO or flexibility.

How does the speaker suggest addressing favoritism in the workplace?

The speaker suggests self-reflection on personal biases, being transparent about who and why you favor certain individuals, and ensuring that actions are taken to treat all employees equally, so that everyone feels like they are valued and supported in the same way.