Favouritism with team

[GaynorGoodwin]

I feel as if our Team Leader at work doesn't rate me as high as my colleague (I'm in a team of 2 that works alongside a larger team). We both do the same job (me 30 hours and my colleague 37) but I feel she has more confidence in her and any queries, etc she will ask her and not me. Several things have happened and each time my confidence drops.

Anyone else experienced this? Advice welcome, thanks.

If you feel less confident you will come across as less confident so it might be a bit of a chicken and egg situation...
Have you had a recent appraisal or any feedback on how you're doing? The fact that your colleague works more hours a week would make it more likely that she could answer queries and she also has more experience than you, however, that doesn't mean your boss doesn't think you're doing a good job too.

I had this in a previous role. It was essentially because my colleague was a people-pleaser (I am not) and my manager was insecure. There wasn't a whole lot I could do about it apart from making notes about times when she had very obviously favoured my colleague and use my 121s and reviews to highlight those and ask how I could have done better.

@two; I had a 1:1 about two months ago and was told to ask more questions. It was in response to her asking how I was getting on and I said I didn't have the full experience I would need. It wasn't a moan on my part, more pointing out the obvious. I wasn't suggesting I was unhappy in any way but it left me feeling deflated even back then.

The Team Leader is about 32yrs of age and tends to relate to the younger ones so much more easily than she does to me. She even mentioned how she'd helped get one of them a job! It was like she was so Influential.

@penguin, yeah I might need to do this also.

If you've identified to your boss yourself that you haven't got the full experience then she is even more likely to ask your colleague rather than you, you've basically told her you probably won't have the answer. I think now you need to show that you are proactively acquiring the experience. Don't waste your energy looking for favouritism, it will look like you have an inferiority complex. You know you have the potential to be extremely competent at your job, you've got to act like it so others can see it too.

If you've identified to your boss yourself that you haven't got the full experience then she is even more likely to ask your colleague rather than you, you've basically told her you probably won't have the answer.

That doesn't get the manager off the hook from supporting the
OP. A good manager wouldn't just abandon an employee and it doesn't absolve their responsibility in supporting them in getting up to speed in whatever experience they need to increase. Unfortunately this approach is prevalent in organisations. The object of 1x1 meetings should be a joint development discussion not just to appraise past performance.

OP I would document any specific knowledge gaps you want to fill and ask your boss to help you get up to speed.

Thanks to all for your replies. I will take these on board, and see if this helps me feel better about the situation.

If it were me I'd be proactive about the situation. Have another one to one and produce a list of areas where you feel like you are lacking in experience and a list of solutions as to how you can go about improving each area and ask for assistance in making it happen.

Good luck.