| I'm going to address a topic that isn't
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| | important to high technology enterprises.
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| often discussed formally by top
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| | High Tech companies, particularly
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| management within a business, certainly
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| | startups, are built to move very fast. A
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| not out in the open. It's a major topic
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| | big aspect of that speed advantage is
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| in HR circles, I'm sure. It's also a
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| | often the company cultures, which tend to
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| major topic, in hushed tones, around the
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| | be open and collaborative. To ignore this
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| water cooler and during lunch among
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| | issue in a High Tech business is to
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| friends. But regardless of how little
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| | invite a loss of productivity, or in
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| formal attention it gets, this is an
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| | extreme circumstances, an actual
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| important issue that exists in nearly
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| | destruction of the company culture that
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| every workplace, large and small. While
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| | you've worked hard to create. Resentment
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| it's not something that gets addressed in
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| | can build quickly when favoritism is
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| management meetings or SEC filings, I'd
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| | suspected. Resentment quickly becomes
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| venture to guess that it can have as much
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| | bitterness, and bitterness leads to all
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| affect on a company as most "high
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| | sorts of behavior which creates problems
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| profile" management topics.
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| | for companies. Plummeting productivity,
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| THE PROBLEM
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| | divisions between the perceived "haves"
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| The issue that I' m referring to is
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| | and "have-nots", absenteeism and
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| Workplace Favoritism. If you've ever
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| | attrition. All of this has the potential
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| worked in an organization larger than two
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| | to slow down or even stop a fast-moving,
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| people, I suspect that you've seen it.
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| | but embryonic, High Tech business very
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| Favoritism is part of human nature. No
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| | quickly.
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| two people interact similarly to any
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| | PERCEPTION, NOT REALITY
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| other two, so it's impossible for all
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| | I want to emphasize that it's the
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| workplace relationships to be "equal".
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| | PERCEPTION of favoritism that does the
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| It's only natural to gravitate to people
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| | damage. If there is actual favoritism,
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| that you share common interests with, and
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| | you can argue that management is just
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| with whom you have an easy rapport. And
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| | getting what they deserve. But I've seen
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| of course, there's nothing wrong with any
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| | proud managers who think that since
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| of this, on the surface. The problems
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| | they're not actually doing anything
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| surface when one of three distinct things
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| | wrong, that should be enough--people will
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| ocurr:
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| | recognize it. They may also feel that
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| 1. When a good rapport and shared
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| | they are too busy worrying about "real"
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| interests lead to a PERCEPTION that an
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| | business problems that are critical to
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| employee is getting favored treatment
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| | the business in the near term, to be
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| from a manager
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| | concerned with such "soft"issues. They'll
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| 2. When a manager ACTUALLY PROVIDES
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| | let HR worry about such things. Or since
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| unfair preferential treatment for one
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| | they're not actually guilty, they believe
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| employee at the expense of others
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| | that they just don't need to defend
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| 3. Nepotism, the granddaddy of workplace
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| | themselves further. Lastly, they might
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| favoritism
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| | think that since they're the "all
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| So you might be thinking, hey, this is
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| | powerful" boss, they can do what they
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| pretty subjective stuff. There are many
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| | want, and no one will challenge their
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| people in the workplace who are extremely
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| | decisions.
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| sensitive, and are looking around every
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| | In nearly all cases, no matter the
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| corner for perceived slights and
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| | justification, the companies of managers
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| injustices. Women can be suspicious that
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| | who ignore perceptions of favoritism will
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| they're being shut out of participation
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| | suffer as a result of the oversight.
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| in the best projects, or advancement,
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| | This is a pretty confusing topic, with a
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| because of the "Old Boys
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| | lot of room for misperception on both the
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| Club"--oftentimes with good reason,
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| | management and employee sides. But it's
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| unfortunately. There are also many
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| | extremely important for management to
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| under-performers who look at other's
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| | directly address the issue head-on. So
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| relationships, in an attempt to convince
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| | what's a manager to do to avoid the
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| themselves that it's something other than
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| | PERCEPTION of favoritism, which as
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| their own shortcomings that is preventing
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| | discussed above, can be just as damaging
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| them from getting ahead.
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| | as actual favoritism?
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| WHAT DEFINES FAVORITISM?
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| | COMMON SENSE APPROACH
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| I don't believe that you can, or should,
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| | I propose that it's not hard to take a
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| treat everyone the same. I'm not an
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| | common sense approach to favoritism. Here
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| advocate of communism. People who perform
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| | are the rules I suggest management try to
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| well should be rewarded. And a single
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| | live by:
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| management style doesn't work equally
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| | 1.Do everything within your power to
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| well with all employees. Some people need
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| | insure that advancement, perks and
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| more attention to fulfill their
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| | compensation are based strictly upon
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| potential, while others excel with less
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| | objective performance measures
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| attention and more autonomy. And speaking
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| | 2.Strive to treat everyone fairly, if not
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| strictly about nepotism, just because an
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| | necessarily the same
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| employee is related to someone in a
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| | 3.Put yourself in your employee's
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| position of power, doesn't insure they
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| | shoes--think back to before you were a
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| are lazy or incompetent.
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| | manager, and evaluate whether you might
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| So when does smart, individualized
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| | feel a particular action feels like
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| management of employees cross the line
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| | favoritism
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| into unfair favoritism?
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| | 4.Create an environment where any
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| It crosses the line when an employee
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| | employee feels comfortable discussing a
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| receives extra benefits that are
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| | perceived injustice with management--this
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| perceived to result from a "special
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| | enables managers to nip misconceptions in
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| relationship" rather than from excelling
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| | the bud
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| in job performance.
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| | 5.Practice an open door policy--this also
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| The actions in question can be pretty
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| | contributes to a culture of trust, which
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| subtle, and the employees who feel
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| | can sooth ruffled feathers before hurt
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| slighted might be very good at hiding
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| | feelings can fester and turn a situation
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| their true feelings. So it's also very
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| | far more sour
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| easy for a manager to think there's no
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| | 6.Manage potential perceptions of
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| real problem, and often be totally
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| | favoritism proactively--it's much easier
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| oblivious to perceptions of favoritism.
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| | to prevent the perception up front, than
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| But it is extremely important for
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| | it is to "put out the fire" once it's
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| management to be hyper-sensitive to this
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| | raging
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| issue. While this is a universal business
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| | 7.If at all possible, avoid family
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| issue, I feel it is particularly
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| | relationships within the workplace.
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