Treating Everyone The Same Is Not Fair!

Bob Schultek
Bob Schultek

One much revered principle of people management is that you should treat everyone the same if you want all to feel that they’re being treated fairly. But this approach is unproductive.

Equal pay for equal work is a vital management parameter. Employees are constantly watching to see if someone is getting a better deal than they are. Sustaining fairness in compensation is mandatory to building trust and motivation. But once compensation issues are resolved, what is the benefit for treating everyone the same?

All of us are born with different skills and attributes which we refine over time through our life’s experiences. If we are all different, does it makes sense to treat everyone the same?

Each person seeks individual recognition based on his or her distinctive qualities and contributions. So it is more productive to learn an employees’ unique abilities and what motivates that person. Then, adapt your motivational approach to account for this individuality.

Learn the names of your people and identify a key attribute or personal value that drives each person.

When you acknowledge or recognize a person, associate your comment with that individual’s attribute or core value. Your people will appreciate the personal recognition and respond by seeking to earn more of it, and you’ll secure a powerful, focused motivational tool.

What methods do you use to personally connect with your personnel?

How can you adapt your motivational process to better leverage each employee’s individuality?

2 thoughts on “Treating Everyone The Same Is Not Fair!”

  1. Great article!

    There was a Harvard Business Review article by Dan Goleman “Leadership that gets results” that looked at leadership in a similar way. It argued that the best leaders have several leadership “styles” and can use the appropriate method in each situation, sort of like a golfer using the best club for each shot.

    I enjoyed this article and agree that understanding an individual’s core value and what motivates them is important for a leader to connect with their personnel.

    Reply

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