That's Not Fair!

That’s not fair!

You must have heard that at least once from one of your direct reports. When you did, you did one of two things: you dismissed it, or you became defensive.

Do you know that when you use either of these approaches you miss an opportunity to change how you apply your organization’s policies and procedures?

For example, when you focus on the performance and not on the performer, it becomes easier for you to apply the policies and procedures equally. In the process, you will also remove claims of subjectivity. Remember, your employees are watching your every move.

According to the late Secretary of State Colin Powell, “Your good employees know who the bad employees are and are watching you to see what you are going to do about it.”

Understand that how you manage your bad employees affects the attitude of your good employees. Therefore, if you make a habit of passing the incomplete work of your weaker employees to your stronger employees, your stronger employees will soon join the ranks of the weaker employees.

Remember, your organization drafted policies and procedures to help you manage performances and behaviors—not the performers. When you use them for that purpose, you increase the odds of being less subjective—more objective.

If you can do that, you will help create a workplace where claims of “That’s not fair” become something of the past.

?

?