by C.V.Rajan

Created on: November 29, 2010

Bosses are neither robots nor computers who simply work according to the program, commands and logic.  They are human beings with their share of limitations in head and heart.  In any given situation, most people, including the bosses, act based on emotions and justify their actions by logic.

Playing favoritism by bosses is part of occupational hazard for any employee.  At one end, meek bosses lacking competence, managerial prowess and self confidence are those who predominantly play favoritism. At another end, very powerful bosses who are happy to have “yes men” around them too play favorites.

The type of personality that a subordinate possesses generally determines the way to handle a boss who plays favorites.

== Meek but amenable subordinates ==

The best strategy for such subordinates is to play by the tunes of the boss so as to enter into his good books and become one of his favorites. Meek subordinates who lack competence generally have much less egotism and in fact dancing to the tunes of the boss rather than showing work competence is the naturally best choice for their career growth.

== Over smart subordinates ==

Over smart subordinates have the competence to play politics better than the boss. They know the knack of locating the power center amidst the next two or three layers of managers. If the immediate boss happens to be the power center, they will go all out to woo the boss, after keenly analyzing his needs, wants, expectations and weaknesses. If the power center is elsewhere, they would not mind doing everything to reach closer to that center and in the process, they will take the calculated risk of ignoring or circumventing their own boss.

== Competent but egoistic subordinates ==

Such subordinates are normally those, who frequently lose the goodwill of their bosses, because they display a “I know better than you” attitude. Their approach will normally be confrontational. Their ego will not permit them to bend to the extraneous expectations of the bosses and they will normally expect rewards as a matter of right to their efficiency and performance.  It is always better either for the boss or for the subordinate to get him relieved from the team and transferred to another team or department so that the bickering is minimized. Some people would opt to move out of the company – for them flight is better than a fight.

 == Level headed and mature subordinates ==

They will act according to the merit and temperament of the boss. If they know for sure that the boss has obvious limitations in managerial capacity, they will bide their time for the boss to get exposed; while they will not act with a confrontationist attitude, they will however make sure to display their competence and smartness to a couple of levels above the boss (e.g. through confident talking, by offering insightful and competent suggestions in meetings attended by higher-ups) and make others understand that they are indeed meritorious for taking up higher responsibilities in future.

Whatever be the strategy, it is always best to avoid a direct confrontational attitude; a person who is able to move well with people above, below and at his own level is normally considered a good managerial material from the point of view of personnel management. 

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