Why Is Playing Favorites Harmful to Team Culture?
Favoritism creates a lovefest for insiders and cynicism for everyone else, driving dissenters away. It undermines perceived fairness and reduces the team’s willingness to contribute candidly.
Metaphor
Playing favorites is like having a VIP lane in the office coffee line. A few get their lattes fast, while everyone else stews in resentment. Over time, that sense of unfairness brews cynicism and disengagement across the team.
Favoritism is ultimately a leadership issue, since how leaders distribute attention and opportunities shapes the culture of the team.
Works Consulted
In addition to any sources cited above, the following works informed my thinking: (1)
1.
Goldsmith M. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There [Internet]. Profile Books; 2013. Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84525.What_Got_You_Here_Won_t_Get_You_There