Why Treating People Differently Is Fair

Before I get arrested by the equity police, hear me out.

People need to be treated differently in order to be treated fairly.

Huh?

You read that right.

Everyone says they want fairness, but in theory that isn't the most effective way to manage people.

For example, you are unique.

What motivates, frustrates, excites, upsets, and drives you makes you different.

A cookie-cutter managerial approach feels robotic like you're a number.

Great leaders know what makes you different.

How you communicate with one person may be very different than how you talk to another.

This is one of many reasons why managing people is so difficult.

Objective standards, deadlines, and procedures are helpful.

But how to deliver the desired results varies.

• It's the reason why autonomy is high on the wish list.
• It's the reason why you hate being micromanaged.
• It's why there are such things as rewards, commissions, and promotions.

Without treating people differently, everyone would get a trophy (not a good thing).

Take it to a personal level.

Did (or does) your favorite manager treat you the same as everyone else?

When you say your manager cares about you, listens to you, and supports you it feels personalized.

Hopefully, they put the same effort into their entire team, but how it's received differs.

Hall of Fame basketball coach Phil Jackson used to describe coaching a team as playing to the individual strengths of each player.

If he allowed each player to showcase what they did well, the team had a better chance of winning.

He even assigned specific books to each player to read based on their personality.

This customized approach is harder to apply but makes people feel valued.

In my own experience as a leader, the concept of treating people differently works.

I love the challenge of getting to know people and understanding what makes them tick, ticks them off, and drives them.

Leadership development is all about how to communicate effectively with individuals.

So in fairness, treating people the same sounds equitable and in theory it is.

But on the receiving end, it feels disingenuous.

Great leaders know how you say something matters more than what you say.

On that premise alone, different words are needed for different people.

So if you've been managing people the same, consider this alternative.

People need to be treated differently in order to be treated fairly.

What are your thoughts/experiences?