"Of course, I only get the boring projects when the exciting work is always assigned to the boss's favourite employee."
Team members complain openly or covertly about unequal treatment. There is jealousy and envy in the team because the line manager obviously gets on better with certain employees than with others. These are symptoms of the mate trap. How should the manager deal with this atmosphere?
Background
When managers favour certain people in the team, it is often because they are similar to themselves. Top teams, on the other hand, benefit from the diversity of opinions and views.
Antidote
Are you looking for confirmation from your employees in your solution approach, or are you willing to learn and listen to the arguments of others? Only if you listen carefully to those who think differently will you learn - and strengthen the effectiveness of the team.
This might also interest you:
Source: Lippmann, E. (2018). Handbook of Applied Psychology for Managers: Leadership Expertise and Leadership Knowledge. Springer.