I have been on all sides of this before – the one the boss doesn’t favour, the one the boss favours, and the boss who favours people.
And this is what I’ve learned throughout my life.
Managing up is a skill many people underestimate.
I’m not saying you need to lick your boss’s boots. But at the very least, learn how to give a genuine compliment or two.
Also, study the favourite. What are they doing that’s working?
Communicating more? Delivering faster? Managing expectations better?
I’ve observed and copied them, and voila!
But if after all that effort, it’s still unfair, if you want HR to be able to do something about it, we need you to start documenting what happened and gathering evidence.
We need to establish a pattern that this manager is consistently overlooking equally capable people because they have a favourite.
But whatever the outcome of the investigation, you need to know that things are not going to be the same again between you and the manager.
Are we ready for that?
Think about it.
Always on your side, AuntyHR.
