So you have a coworker who always seems to be getting preferential treatment. Maybe he (she) is getting the best shifts, or the most interesting projects, or preferred vacation time, or maybe the boss just spends more time with them, or confides in him more. What’s going on?
The simplest answer is that there’s just a better connection between this coworker and the boss. Maybe they share similar values or hobbies. Perhaps they have the same kind of sense of humour. But chances are, there’s more to it, and to understand, it helps to crawl inside a boss’s brain and take a look at the types of things that they value in employees.
Here are the biggies:
Trust
There’s very little that’s more important to an employer than having an employee you know you can trust.
Dependability
Having an employee you can always depend on is like gold for a boss. Knowing that you can give something to an employee and it’s going to get done without having to worry about it makes a boss’s life a whole lot easier.
Attitude
Trying to build and maintain a positive work environment is hard work and every boss likes an employee who comes in every day with a positive attitude.
Going above and beyond
That employee who’s willing to pitch in whenever he/she is needed and has the vision to contribute beyond the basic job description is an invaluable asset to a boss.
There’s a lot more of course, but these are the big ones. It’s easy to see how a boss would want to spend more time developing, nurturing, and helping an employee who are bringing these things to a workplace. The real questions you need to ask yourself when there’s a boss’s pet in the workplace, are “What is this person doing to warrant the special treatment?” and “Which of these things can I do to improve my relationship with my boss?”
Not coincidentally, these are the very same things that lead to promotions, pay raises and greater opportunities. Mys suggestion? Instead of looking at the boss’s pet as someone to become frustrated with or envious of, look at him as someone to learn from.
If you care about customer experience, this is ‘required reading.’ Find out why people are raving about The Journey to WOW!
