‘We see only what we know’ – Goethe
In the last previous article, I discussed about the three crucial questions to address for better employee engagement and left one of them for a separate reflection. The question is ‘I am being treated fairly’. We think this is the most difficult one to get right.
Aligning people for a common purpose and then delivering the purpose are two different aspects. Delivery cares about hard skills, logic and facts while aligning everyone for the same delivery is an interplay of personal likes and dislikes. In this backdrop the two of the biggest challenges of treating people fairly are:
- Every one of us, have our own unique mental paradigm, which in turn define our own meaning of fair treatment: This is developed by virtue of our cultural, linguistic, national, and educational experience and exposure
- Every one of us, have unique intellectual and cognitive abilities which we want to utilize fully: What we need is an environment to thrive and become the best we all can be in our own unique vision of achievement and using our own unique abilities, that can be different from others.
However, for most people to fulfill their greatest potential and talents require the right environment, denying which causes a deep sense of being treated unfairly. But our structures and systems doesn’t provide everyone this opportunity to thrive and succeed.
In most organizations we mostly care about equal rights, material recognition, accepting visible differences, equal pay policies (or at par with living standards), respect and try to make these as fair and inclusive as reasonably possible (although all are still debatable, but let’s accept it). But, on the other hand what matters more and what we don’t talk about much, is how we provide systematic advantages for some to thrive and progress and refute the same for others.
People’s mind of being ‘treated fairly’ can only change by emotional consent than by logical arguments. As team lead and managers, the more we try to treat everyone fairly (in a logical way), the message that is reflected to us is ‘I am certainly not going to believe you, no matter whatever you tell me. I want you to see the world the way I see it myself’ and ‘unless you talk about the systematic advantages you or others received, all types of discussion on equality have no meaning for me’. It requires sensitivity, maturity, and neutrality to deal in such situation.
Few changes to the way we look at things however can help address the problem.
- We need to thrive and become the best version of ourselves. This doesn’t always mean more money, more power or more position. This realization is powerful enough and can be achieved via proper coaching.
- Most likely, it is better to stop promoting the cliché that success is all about ‘your own effort’ and what you want to be. Even though, it is true, telling this doesn’t help boost productivity or fair treatment as very few (if at all any) will eventually gather the courage to fight the system. It is rather important to have the courage to acknowledge how systematic advantages and environment that promotes certain traits, continues to be a leading force in contributing to successes of people. We must have the right values and courage to acknowledge this and work to create the environment for everyone to thrive.
- It is important to find the natural aptitude of individuals and allow them the freedom to use them in the best possible way. Many a times, just reflecting to them their own feeling, and asking if any change is needed is good enough. The good news is, in today’s world every job is complex and most likely need a diverse range of skills.
Above all we need to cultivate a work culture where the analytical thinker and the creative mind, the people’s person and the introvert, the visual thinker and the naturalist and every other diversity of thoughts need to be embraced and allowed to thrive. That’s when we will get the best delivery.
‘We see only what we know’ – Goethe
In the last previous article, I discussed about the three crucial questions to address for better employee engagement and left one of them for a separate reflection. The question is ‘I am being treated fairly’. We think this is the most difficult one to get right.
Aligning people for a common purpose and then delivering the purpose are two different aspects. Delivery cares about hard skills, logic and facts while aligning everyone for the same delivery is an interplay of personal likes and dislikes. In this backdrop the two of the biggest challenges of treating people fairly are:
- Every one of us, have our own unique mental paradigm, which in turn define our own meaning of fair treatment: This is developed by virtue of our cultural, linguistic, national, and educational experience and exposure
- Every one of us, have unique intellectual and cognitive abilities which we want to utilize fully: What we need is an environment to thrive and become the best we all can be in our own unique vision of achievement and using our own unique abilities, that can be different from others.
However, for most people to fulfill their greatest potential and talents require the right environment, denying which causes a deep sense of being treated unfairly. But our structures and systems doesn’t provide everyone this opportunity to thrive and succeed.
In most organizations we mostly care about equal rights, material recognition, accepting visible differences, equal pay policies (or at par with living standards), respect and try to make these as fair and inclusive as reasonably possible (although all are still debatable, but let’s accept it). But, on the other hand what matters more and what we don’t talk about much, is how we provide systematic advantages for some to thrive and progress and refute the same for others.
People’s mind of being ‘treated fairly’ can only change by emotional consent than by logical arguments. As team lead and managers, the more we try to treat everyone fairly (in a logical way), the message that is reflected to us is ‘I am certainly not going to believe you, no matter whatever you tell me. I want you to see the world the way I see it myself’ and ‘unless you talk about the systematic advantages you or others received, all types of discussion on equality have no meaning for me’. It requires sensitivity, maturity, and neutrality to deal in such situation.
Few changes to the way we look at things however can help address the problem.
- We need to thrive and become the best version of ourselves. This doesn’t always mean more money, more power or more position. This realization is powerful enough and can be achieved via proper coaching.
- Most likely, it is better to stop promoting the cliché that success is all about ‘your own effort’ and what you want to be. Even though, it is true, telling this doesn’t help boost productivity or fair treatment as very few (if at all any) will eventually gather the courage to fight the system. It is rather important to have the courage to acknowledge how systematic advantages and environment that promotes certain traits, continues to be a leading force in contributing to successes of people. We must have the right values and courage to acknowledge this and work to create the environment for everyone to thrive.
- It is important to find the natural aptitude of individuals and allow them the freedom to use them in the best possible way. Many a times, just reflecting to them their own feeling, and asking if any change is needed is good enough. The good news is, in today’s world every job is complex and most likely need a diverse range of skills.
Above all we need to cultivate a work culture where the analytical thinker and the creative mind, the people’s person and the introvert, the visual thinker and the naturalist and every other diversity of thoughts need to be embraced and allowed to thrive. That’s when we will get the best delivery.
