Nobody has ever described life as being fair. Nor is there any obvious reason it should be. Yet we all somehow expect it to be. Why? It would seem that we are all born with some sort of innate sense of justice that demands fairness. From the time we can first talk, we seem to be obsessed by it. Many a playground dispute starts with a perception that "it's just not fair!"
And it doesn't end there. Work place conflict or international political conflict, like all conflict, can be attributed to a feeling of unfair treatment. "Unfair dismissal" is recognised as a legitimate ground for industrial action. The recent strike at the Lindsey Oil Refinery began because workers were united in the conviction that the dismissal of 51 of them was 'unfair', and their ultimate total victory (no pun intended) suggests that their actions were justified.
The concept of fairness can therefore be very confusing, stretching from a loose, ambiguous concept, bordering on the ideal, to a legally enforceable principle. It is therefore useful to dig a little deeper into the word, which is defined in part as:
"Fair: (Adverb) … Open, frank, honest, hence equal, just, equitable." Webster's Student Reference Dictionary.
There is an immediate conundrum here, because clearly people are not equal, nor is it reasonable to expect them to be treated equally. So clearly the word's relevance has to be determined by the context, and the extent of equality has to stem from the degree of openness, frankness and honesty. This leads back to the headline question and its applicability to business generally, and your business specifically.
Treating your people fairly demands you apply openness, frankness and honesty universally across the organisation. Failure to do so across the board leaves you open to conflicts and disputes and will inevitably impact on your results. I guess that is why "fairness and dignity" is one of the 10 key principles of organisational democracy. 'Command and control' management is widely recognised to be passed its sell-by-date and yet there are few alternatives being put forward as to how it could, or should, be replaced. I believe this principle being espoused by Worldblu provides the logical platform. What do you think?
If you are truly committed to a 'fair' workplace you certainly cannot disagree with fairness and dignity. And if not, there should be no reason why you cannot agree with the others. If you truly value your people as your most important asset, this is a very good launch pad, and the Zealise solution will help you to succeed.