Squelching Equality. Celebrating Special.

Consistent Inconsistency Is The Most Consistent Form Of Consistency.

I find Vince Lombardi’s philosophy on how to treat people especially appealing: “There is nothing so unequal,” he said, “as the equal treatment of unequals.”

My children are wonderful (of course they are) – and very different.? Growing up their mother and I didn’t treat them the ‘same.’? I dare to bet that is true for most parents.? Any attempt to treat them equal would have been disastrous.? We were particularly careful to treat them each according to their uniqueness, not their sameness.?(Personal Confession: I never mastered this approach).

I’d advocate the same attitude with team members. Policies pursue equality.?

Restrictive extensive policies will squelch individuality. Leadership is about fairness.? Not every person you work with is equal.? Treat people as individuals not as equals.

Every person I work with is special and unique --- not equal.? And, I plan to treat them that way.? “Oh, my goodness,” you say, “how inconsistent.”? Emerson said:?“Consistency is the hobgoblin of fools.”? Consistency is not the goal.? Treating people as special individuals is.

Let this rattle your thinking a bit. . .

Consistent inconsistency is the most consistent form of consistency.

You might need to read that again. . . ?

I know. I know. I know.? This way of life has challenges.? It’s tricky – personally, legally, and professionally.? It can get messy!

A sincere desire to do ‘what’s right for people’ inevitably surfaces the question of equity – there’s that word again – and even justice.? Consider the impact to the entire group and the individual. Then, consistently do what’s right for people – as a group and individual.

In my world, everyone will continue to get special treatment, but no one gets equal treatment.? I’ll deal with obvious perils and tricky decisions.? I fully understand the multitude of variables that need to be considered for every decision. ?

One final comment about special treatment – if you are building strong personal relationships with those you work with, they will come to realize you will do what’s right for their teammates and for them when their time comes.? I am not sure Oliver Wendell Holmes was talking about this issue when he said, “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions,” but it’s perfect for clarifying the special treatment issue.

Take it from an Old Guy . . . treating everyone equal is not nearly as important as treating people as individuals.

The older I get, the more passionate I become about squelching equality and celebrating uniqueness.

My attitude working with my team is this. . . everyone gets treated as a special individual.? No one gets treated equal.

Questions to Ponder:

What do you think?