Why Managers Play Favorites – and How They Can Change

While most good bosses try to be fair and balanced with their
direct reports, it's only human to prefer the company and work
styles of some team members over others, and employees are keenly
aware of those preferences. They see favorites and non-favorites,
ingroups and outgroups -- and when those divisions fester, they can
destroy team culture and performance. Ginka Toegel, professor at
IMD Business School, explains why even well-intentioned managers
succumb to favoritism, how workers on both sides are affected, and
what we can do to both avoid and rectify the problem. Toegel is the
coauthor of the HBR article "Stop Playing Favorites."