Jealousy isn't just for lovers. It's rampant in offices, shops, and factories, too. According to one survey, three-fourths of employees said they had witnessed--or been involved in--an incident of jealousy or envy in the prior month. Maybe there's a new hire who gets all the boss' attention and everyone else feels suddenly ignored. Or a coveted assignment in Paris goes not to a star performer but to a midlevel worker.
Jealousy and envy are often by-products of the Protestant work ethic, says Robert Vecchio, Ph.D., professor of management at Notre Dame. People who take their job very seriously assume their hard work will be rewarded and turn green if they feel unappreciated.
Most managers are lax about dealing with office envy. "It's considered childish or inappropriate to talk about," observes Vecchio. But jealousy and envy have their costs--and they aren't just emotional. Workers fuming over a perceived slight aren't very productive. And if their feelings inspire retribution--say, if a worker "loses" a colleague's file, the costs escalate.
Savvy managers, though, can stop jealousy before it occurs:
o Make sure employees know the selection criteria for promotions, assignments, and awards.
o Emphasize that your decisions are based on equity and fairness. That way, when Julie gets sent to Paris, Bob understands she was chosen for her fluency in French, not because she sucked up to her superiors.
o Rotate workers to share desirable assignments.
o Ask staff members for their input in decision-making.
o Finally, remind employees that you value their efforts. Workers with high self-esteem are less likely to engage in destructive turf wars.
