Justice At Work: Helping Fairness Prevail In A Remote Environment

Continuing the conversation from our previous post on Justice, one of the key pillars of Stoicism that leaders should familiarize themselves with, we’ve better defined what Justice is (and is not) at a high level for continued success.

Now, moving forward beyond mindset, let’s explore how to demonstrate Justice in action.

To answer a common question in our new era of remote and hybrid work: How do we create a fully engaged culture in which people deeply care about concepts of tolerance and fairness in the workplace?

The good news is: You can still do that on a virtual level by regularly and openly talking about these matters.

No matter where your employees are based, you can concretely speak on what is acceptable for the company to operate effectively – not from a “preaching” point of view or tone but to preserve a work environment everyone is comfortable operating in.

With this in mind, when I’m having conversations with leaders I know or are advising and they’re thinking about the virtues of Justice in an environment, a question still lingers: How do you implement Justice or improve upon it as a next step??

Justice isn’t merely an idea but rather a right vs. wrong choice that is a “rubber meets the road” moment. If you make the wrong choice and tolerate violations of trust and tolerance, it sends a message to others that they can get away with much more these days. It is never a good look.

Communicate Justice On Day 1

In the case of new hires, you must stay on top of conveying the role of Justice in your environment because if you don’t, before you know it, new people could quickly think, “Wow. Is that kind of behavior in others tolerated around here without any consequences? Didn’t know that.”

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That’s why making Justice part of your onboarding process is so critical. It’s not so simple as giving a new hire an employee handbook, having them sign off upon receiving it and then not speaking about it again until the handbook is updated. Instead, it’s an open conversation about the culture, the organization’s mission, the differences that demand respect, and what instances occur when a behavioral issue needs to be addressed.

You can’t be afraid to talk to people about these matters because if you don’t, what message are you sending in lieu of communication? Not a good one.

How often have you seen a leader let certain people in the organization “get away” with going their own way on an issue that’s not in alignment simply because that person has been with the company for decades? Oh, we can’t discipline Bob. Bob’s been with us for 35 years and did help us win some landmark accounts way back when.

Letting these things go without Justice taking root opens the door for anyone to say, “Wait a minute. Why is that OK for him but not for the rest of us?” When such a sentiment of “he/she has their favorites” is allowed to permeate the environment, it can be deadly for a culture, especially when nobody else in the organization can afford the same response and excuses.

This is not to suggest that everything communicated among staff members will be equal in the approach from leadership. That’s just not realistic. But treating everyone with fairness as best as possible is, in fact, completely practical.

We often equate Justice to compliance and ensuring that, if something has gone wrong, it is made right. But things don’t have to have gone wrong or be bad for us to administer a different approach.

Instead, let’s ask:

·????? How can we make this culture more open and transparent so it’s a step up from where we were last year?

·????? How can we accentuate and improve our culture so people stay longer and recommend certain folks for open positions?

·????? How do we get feedback and input from our team to make this culture the best version of itself?

Positive and proactive. That’s the true impact of Justice at work rather than a C-suite executive thinking, “How do we keep everybody in line?”

Like most companies, I’m sure you have a good culture but also have some things that demand improvement. You’re not perfect. Nobody is!

So stay on the path of continued improvement of the company culture, but don’t go to one extreme and just think that will solve the problem. You will cater to exceptions from a single individual or group while alienating 95% of everyone else.

That’s called balancing the scales appropriately and it embodies the truest form of Justice.

Mark Holmes is the Founder of FairView Financial Advisors, a firm dedicated to increasing the value of a business by improving cash flow, enhancing operational effectiveness and creating a strong path for business owners toward achievable wealth. All while helping leadership teams steer clear of distractions and other potentially intervening events.

To learn how a BridgeCFO from FairView can fit comfortably at the table of your pool of advisors for your more significant questions and challenges, contact us at Mark@YourFairView.com or 630.564.1786.

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