The favourites

In the corporate world the management always says that they look at the performance and not the person. Anybody who has worked in the corporate knows that this is not true at all. The corporates would always have their favourite and they always win all the prizes.

I started working in the corporate when I was 22 years old. In my first company I was really impressed with the induction. When I met my team lead and manager it was a brilliant experience. They had shown me a beautiful picture of the project. They had emphasized that if I put my best work then I would receive not only praise but also exposure to the management. I was naïve and I believed them. Within 1 year working with them I had discovered the truth.

Management does not like someone who ask questions. Management does not want someone who thinks logically. They prefer someone who would always say yes. They need someone who does not use their logic and follow them just like sheep. They want yes men and not someone who is a free thinker. If someone always agrees with the management and stays in their good books then that person becomes the favourite.

In my first organisation it took me time to understand this concept. I do not consider myself to be a rebellious but I do not follow the orders that are illogical or questionable. If I was told something which I found unethical, illogical, or unnecessary I would question that. Once I was told that the client provided laptop should not be taken home and it should be kept only in the office. I asked my manager that the laptop is inteded to be used while working from home so what was the point of keeping it in the office. This question offended my manager and definitely I was not the favourite.

Another trait of the favourite is that they never expressed their own opinion. In fact they have no opinion of their own. They repeat the same words that have been spoken by the management. They would provide the same excuses that are provided by the management. The favourites work as undercover agents of the management who want to portray a good picture of the management and anything that is said against them would get conveyed to the managers. The favourite sometimes are also referred to as snakes.

Now a let's talk about the outcome of being the favourite. The favourite would always receive really good ranking in the appraisals. They would always be top scorers irrespective of how they perform. The favourite would be given all the opportunities. The favourite would receive promotion on time or before the time. The favourite get exposure to the higher management as well as with the client. The favourite name would always be highlighted in big forums. These are some of the few words which the favorites receive.

Now coming back to the moral question. Is it wrong to be a favourite? Absolutely not. I believe it is completely an individual choice. If you are fine with bottling up your opinions for opportunities; if it is acceptable for you to not have self respect then go ahead and follow the suit. But if you want to keep your head held up high with logic and your own opinion I would suggest stand up for yourself rather than being a sheep. The choice is yours.