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THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL
•ESSAY
•June7,2013,6:30p.m.ET
TheUpsideofFavoritism
Mostbosseslikesomeemployeesbetterthanothers-and thatcanbegoodforeveryone
By
• PEGGYDREXLER
Asthehead oftheentertainmentdivision ofamajor public-relationsfirminNewYork,Janellewasin charge ofnofewerthan 15junior publicists.She knewthat sheshouldn’tplayfavorites,butshe couldn’thelpit.Some.employeeswerejustbetter thanothers.
Butwhatdefined”better”?ToJanelle,”better”might mean thoseemployeeswhodeliveredexceptional resultsforclients.Moreoften, though,”better”was entirely subjectiveandundefined,eventoher,asshe
explainedtomeinthecourseofmyresearchon womenintheworkplace.(Ihavewithheldfullnames topreservetheprivacyofmysubjects.)
EllenWeinstein
A2011survey conductedfoundthat
92%ofseniorbusiness executiveshaveseen favoritismatplayin employeepromotions.
Yettherewasaclearadvantagetobeingoneof Janelle’sfavorites.Theyoftengotthemore interestingaccounts.Theywerealsoentitledto
http://online.wsj.com/article_email!SB10001424127887324063304578525790605913014-1… 7/5/2013
specialperkslikefreeticketstoaclient’sconcert,off
-the-booksvacationdays,friendlierconversationin thehallsandmoregenuineinterestintheirpersonal lives.
Thenonfavoriteswerelargelyjusttolerated.”Toput itsimply,”Janelletoldme,”Myfavoritesweremy favorites,andIwasverynice tothemandmaybea littledisdainfuloftheothers.Ithoughtthebetter employeesdeservedmybettertreatment,because they’dsomehowearnedit.”
Maybeyou’veplayedfavorites.Maybeyou’vebeen thefavorite.Mostanyonewho’sworkedinanoffice orteamenvironmentknowsthatfavoritismisafact ofnearlyeverymodernworkplace.A2011survey conductedby GeorgetownUniversity’sMcDonough SchoolofBusinessfoundthat92%ofsenior businessexecutiveshaveseenfavoritismatplayin employeepromotions,whileaquarterofexecutives admittedtopracticingfavoritismthemselves.
Whenwetalkaboutfavoritisminanoffice environment,weusuallyhaveinmindhow preferringsomeindividualstootherscandamage theteamasawhole,creatingriftsandfostering resentment.Inordertocreateacollegialand
productiveworkatmosphere,weoftenhear,bosses needtotreateveryonethesameway.
Butthisisn’talwaysthecase-especiallynotifdone right,andfortherightreasons.Recentstudiesshow thatplayingfavoritescanactuallybeaboon, motivatingandempoweringemployeesinwaysthat benefittheentireteam.
A2013studybytheUniversityofBritishColumbia’s SauderSchoolofBusinessandpublishedinthe JournalofBusinessEthicsfoundthatthereisan advantagetomakingcertainemployeesfeelalittle morespecialthantheothers.Whentreatedbetter thanothersinthegroup,thestudyfound,employeesweremorelikelytoexperienceheightenedself esteem,followworkplacenormsandperformtasks thatbenefittheentiregroup.Theywereperceivedas bothmoresocialandmoreproductive.
What’smore,thestudyfound,notplayingfavorites mayactuallybeadisincentiveforthoseemployees who,withalittleextraattention,mightbewillingto goaboveandbeyond.Theseareemployeeswho workhardforoutward,explicitapprovalandwho, whenunrecognized,maybegintoworkalittleless hard.
Asthesupervisorof10real-estate agentsinalarge andverycompetitiveNewYorkfirm,Jasonwas constantlytryingtorewardgoodworkinawaythat motivatedhisemployees,withoutdiscouraging others.Atthesametime,hewasafirm-and upfront-believerinfavoritism.”Iwasveryclear
withthecrew,”hesaid.”Isaid,’Look,Ivalueresults, collaboration, kindnessandperseverance.Thoseof youwhodisplaythesequalitiesaremostlikelyto receivepreferentialtreatmentfromme.Yourwork lifewillprobablybebetter.”Thoseonhislistof “favorites”changedallthetime,andthestaffknew that;therewerealwaysopportunitiestogetonthe boss’sgoodside.
Andwhenhedidsingleoutanemployee,hewas
•
suretodoitwithoutdisparagingtheothers.”I
rewardedgoodworkonitsown,andneverinthe contextofothers’performances,”hetoldme.”For instance,Iwouldnevertellanunderperforming staffer,’Whycan’tyoubemorelike so-and-so?’ Instead,I’dsay,’Here’swhereyourperformance disappointedme,andhere’showI’dliketoseeyou makesomechanges.”‘
Thestrategyworked:Inhisfirstyear,Jason’steam outsoldallothersinthecompany.Formanyyears
hisdepartmentcontinued tohaveahigherthan averagerateofretention.
Bybeingcareful,selectiveandclearabouthis methods,Jasonhadhitonanimportantaspectof usingfavoritismtoadvantage:transparency.Thatis, makingitobvioustoeveryoneintheofficehowthey canqualifytobecomeafavorite,too.Heshowed
howfavoritismcanworkwhenitisdonefortheright reasons-relatedexclusivelytojobperformanceand at-workbehavior.
Janelle,bycontrast, thoughtshewasmorelikelyto favorthosewhoworkedhardest,butsheeventually realizedthattherewereotherpatternsatplay.For instance,shewasmorelikelytofavoranemployee shehadhiredherselfoveroneshehadinherited.She alsohadatendencytolikemothersandthosewho hadcatsaspets.Themessageshewas sendingtoher employeeswasn’tthatfavoritismwas earned,but
thatitwasbestowed,basednotonperformancebut onJanelle’sunstatedandarbitrarypreferences.
Gettingfavoritismrightisallabouthowandwhy youchoosetodoit.Playingfavoriteswithan employeebecausethepersonisafriendoutsideof work,thebest-dressedintheofficeorsimplyacat loverisdamagingtomoraleandtoproductivity.On
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324063304578525790605913014-1… 7/5/2013
theotherhand,preferringanemployeewhoworks ortriesharder, performsbetteranddeliversmore consistent resultscanbeaveryeffective managementtool-anditcanhavebeneficialresults throughoutanorganization.
Thosewhoreceivepreferential treatmentfromtheir bossesatonepointoranother reportfeelinga greatersenseofself-worthintheirjobs.Theyalso tendtostickaroundlonger.Andeventually,they maybecomeeffectiveleadersthemselves.
-Dr.DrexlerisanassistantprofessorofpsychologyinpsychiatryatWeillCornellMedical Collegeandtheauthor,mostrecently,of”OurFathers,Ourselves:Daughters,Fathersand . theChangingAmericanFamily.”
Aversionofthisarticleappeared June8,2013, on pageC3intheU.S.editionofTheWallStreet Journal,withtheheadline:TheUpsideOf Favoritism.
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