Have you ever heard your boss say, “Great job. Keep up the good work.” “I knew you could do it”? Is none of it ever directed at you, but always at your colleague? Chances are your boss has a favourite, and you are not it. Favouritism at the workplace is an unspoken reality, and honestly, there’s nothing you can do about it. While in some organisations, it is as clear as day, in other organisations, the favouritism is better hidden. What you can do though is not let your boss’ favouritism hinder your success.

According to a study, around 56% of managers already had a favourite in mind to promote even before the process of review ever began. And about 96% of the time, the manager’s favourite ends up getting the promotion instead of the better employee. This favouritism, of course, leads to poor job satisfaction, and low employee morale and often hinders the performance of the employees as well. But despite the trouble, you deserve success, and these are some ways you can succeed even if you are at the bottom of the boss’ favourites list.

1. Get a little perspective

When you feel like you are being discriminated against, chances are you get emotionally riled up. So, before you take any rash action, it is best to get some perspective as to whether or not you are in an unfair situation or it’s all in your head. Talk to someone who is not a part of your organisation and use them as a sounding board.

2. Keep up the hard work

It’s tempting to give up if the playing field is uneven. So, don’t give in to it so soon. Keep doing a good job as you have always done, work on improving yourself, and ask for feedback from your boss. You might not be the boss’ favourite, but that doesn’t put you on top of their hate list either. If you continue to put in the hard work, your boss and colleagues will take notice one day.

3. Communicate, don’t confront

No matter how tempted you are to confront your boss about their favouritism, don’t do it. Favouritism in the workplace may also make you hesitate about communicating with your boss. However, the best thing for your growth and success is to have open and proactive communication. Ask them what is expected of you, request them for performance feedback, and most importantly, advocate for yourself.

4. Make your hard work known

It’s pretty idealistic to say that your work speaks for itself. But the truth is good work can go unnoticed. So, make sure your achievements are visible without being boastful about them. You can do this during one-on-one meetings with your boss, speak up about your team’s achievements in a weekly or monthly meeting, or share a monthly update with your boss highlighting everything you’ve achieved.

5. Know when to quit

This might be hard, especially in a workplace, but you need to know when to say fuck it and just move on. Despite all your hard work and efforts, if you are still being ignored, it’s best to leave the organisation. Being relegated to the sidelines could affect your morale and your self-confidence, which could hinder your performance. So, it is better to find employment elsewhere and do what’s best for you and your happiness.

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