There is nothing wrong with building your own team. But we must pay attention to form a “team”, not to form cliques. The team should be a group of work partners who can take the lead and complete the team goals together. This group of work partners hold the same goal and as a team can reach the destination faster and easier. Most importantly they can encourage each other as work partners. As a supervisor or boss, you then have more time to plan key strategic goals instead of spending limited energy on the details of the team’s daily operation.

Whether it is a novice supervisor or a start-up boss, the first task is to build a team to achieve the goal together. According to the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposed by George Graeo, at the initial stage of interaction and contact between bosses and subordinates, it is natural to classify some subordinates as “in-group” or ” out-group”. The boss will give more support, interaction opportunities and time, resources, care, trust, authorization, higher evaluation, and assign more tasks and allow more space for discussion to the “in-group”.

There is a saying that “don’t worry about scarcity, but about unevenness.” Employees hate the boss’s favoritism. From the boss’ perspective, it is human nature to selectively like certain colleagues. But as a boss, if you treat your subordinates differently, or even favor one person over another, it is not only unwise, but also unfair to everyone. Research shows that most of us routinely display favoritism without knowing it. When managers favor certain employees, the morale and effectiveness of the entire team suffers

The following points helps the bosses think about the importance of team management without bias:

Identify risks

Knowing the downsides of favoritism can help the bosses treat employees fairly. If the boss only chooses to favor certain employees, he is putting all his eggs in one basket. The reality is that employees don’t stay with companies forever. When other employees lack opportunities to grow and accumulate experience, it not only restricts their career development, but also hinders team efficiency.

In addition, exposure to different viewpoints and ideas can stimulate bosses’ creativity and broaden their horizons.

Distribute tasks fairly

One of the best ways to ensure that no one is favored is to be intentional about assigning tasks fairly. Bosses can consider having different employees hosting the team meetings each week, allowing employees to develop different skills, and showing fair treatment of each employee. It also encourages everyone to have a chance to express their opinions.

Bystander clear

One of the roles of business consultants is to observe business operations from an outsider’s perspective and offer advice objectively. The boss can also listen to the opinions of the employees and regularly review whether the arrangement of assigning tasks is fair.

It is impossible for the boss to be fair all the time. The reality is that most companies do not treat everyone equally. Even so, the boss needs to assign tasks to team members as fairly as possible, and at the same time, think from the perspective of employees and be considerate.

Think big picture for team success

Some bosses may think that they are “big bosses”, so they don’t have to pay attention to the feelings of individual employees. But fairness and justice are the prerequisites for creating a harmonious working environment, and it is also one of the basic elements for the boss to win respect. When subordinates find that their boss treats them fairly, they will naturally devote themselves to work more actively. On the contrary, there will be a sense of unfairness, and even cause dissatisfaction among subordinates, and conflicts between right and wrong among employees will continue.

Therefore, bosses have to think about the big picture and create a fair and just working environment. I believe it will indirectly enhance the efficiency of the enterprise, and it is one of the keys to the success of the team and the enterprise.