Fairness: A Maxim for harmony at Work

Have you heard of the ‘golden rule’ in philosophy? Many of us may not know that it is called ‘The golden rule’ but believe in and follow it. It makes sense even to the simplest of the minds, the common people, non-philosophers, and hence appropriate to be called a rule.

The?Golden Rule?is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them.

It seems to be present in philosophies of many religions. What is surprising is its interpretations and reiteration by various modern philosophers and its continuing relevance even in present times.

So, can we apply the rule to business management? What does the rule tell us about how we should treat our colleagues and gurus?

The maxim can be understood in two ways – positive and negative conjunctions.

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Do?not?treat others in ways that you would?not?like to be treated.

The strength of this rule lies in our self-importance. It instils kindness and respect for others by invoking the same kindness towards us, thus making it a bit easier to put ourselves in the other’s context. Though context is not explicitly mentioned, it brings forth some essential questions.?

What are the conditions that others are in? How do you want to be treated if you were in that context?

In regular business life, we come across situations where we could easily say, ‘That’s not fair’. I can think of some situations where one could experience the feeling, with the following illustration:

Chasing people when needed but not being approachable when others need them

People not responding to emails with a question, but happy to shoot questions on emails

Not responding to meeting requests and keep others guessing as to what to expect.

What if you heard someone say “It was not meant for you, I just wanted to scare him by shouting at you”

Can we apply contemporary thinking to this ancient concept?

When applied to business management, this rule teaches us not just what others are expecting from us, but also about business, its realities, and more importantly, the lived experiences of people in the sector. ?I could think of three maxims, along the lines of the golden rule, and applicable to everyone irrespective of experience or expertise.

• Understand your colleague the same way you wish to be accepted if you were them.
• Respect yourself and extend the same to your teammates.
• And to freshers and those reporting to you – recall those moments in your corporate career when you had received kindness and compassion. Isn’t it our duty to pass it on to others?

Does the rule apply to everyone and all situations?

Well, I think if it is a rule it should apply to everyone, irrespective of their status, gender, knowledge, or position in an organization. However, I do have some concerns about applying it to all contexts. In our line of work, we sometimes need to take some decisions that hurt some and benefit some others.? If we apply the rule to others, then we can’t ever take that decision, and the effect of our indecisiveness may be detrimental to many people.

For example, how would you choose between two partnership opportunities if saying no to one would definitely hurt them. But not choosing any partnership would hurt our business and all our stakeholders.

Similar objections to this rule were voiced by Leibniz, a great German Polymath of the 17th century. Can judges punish any convict as per the law if the judges themselves do not want to be punished? Leibniz suggested that the judge should put themselves in the place, not merely of the criminal, but of all affected persons and then judging each option (to inflict punishment, or release the criminal, etc.) by whether there was a “greater good in which this lesser evil was included.”

There are instances in companies, where downsizing becomes mandatory for whatever reason. While the business demands certain steps to be made, it is, us, the humans who execute them. So it doesn’t cost much to handle it with good communication and support.

I once heard a person directly tell me that he was not a nice person. It bewildered me, and then I thought he perhaps meant, he was not as weak as he had been perceived.

Being nice is not same as being weak.

Does the greater common good override the Golden Rule?

Yes, Leibniz is right. We should try to follow the same in the context of business management too. We can never forget the greater common good of the society and people while making some tough decisions. Such decisions often have no clear right or wrong - the effects may not be visible in the present. Based on the information available to us at the moment, it is important to consider the golden rule, think through its objections, and the greater common good to take the appropriate decision.

You should think with your head but can lead with your heart. Our work is however not only about critical decisions. It is a lot about friendships and interpersonal relationships.

People do not usually shy away from respecting a senior. However, anger and frustrations are sometimes directed at the novice, young, juniors, or beginners in the field. Surprising isn't it?

I tell myself these lines – when I’m guiding my kids or my colleagues – “Be who you needed when you were them”.