Supervisors enjoy all kinds of advantages that come with their positions: they have control over resources, make important decisions, enjoy higher salaries and other valuable perks, and have opportunities to network with power-brokers both inside and outside their organizations.
Why Supervisors Envy Their Employees
Sometimes supervisors feel downward envy — that is, envy of the employees they oversee. This is especially true when a subordinate has strong social skills, demonstrates leadership potential, develops close relationships with senior management, or is seen as a source of innovative ideas. Research shows that this tends to happen more when a supervisor views a subordinate as both competent and cold. To address this, organizations can train supervisors to identify and understand downward envy; to manage their emotional triggers; and to channel envy toward self-improvement options, from formal leadership training to informal learning from the envied employee. In addition, competent employees don’t need to hide their skills, but may want to present themselves in a warmer, more cooperative fashion to their boss.