Harini Sreenivasan

FAIR does not mean equal. We often assume that fairness in the workplace means treating everyone exactly the same. But fairness sometimes demands a different approach – one which recognises that sameness and fairness are not always the same thing. Being fair requires us to understand the difference between equality and equity. Equality is the term used to describe a situation when everyone is given the same support regardless of their individual circumstances. Think of equality as dividing a cake into equal slices, with no regard for who is hungry, allergic to sugar, has special dietary requirements or baked it in the first place. It sounds neat and tidy. But it rarely results in fair outcomes. Equity, on the other hand, is about fairness through difference. It takes into account each person’s unique background, barriers and needs. Instead of offering identical support, it offers the right support. Equity is about what each individual needs to succeed and how support can be given to get them there. Imagine three people of different heights trying to look over a fence to watch a football game. If each is given the same size box to stand on, only the tallest will get a clear view – that is equality. If the shortest gets the highest box, the medium-height person gets a mid-sized one and the tallest gets nothing because they do not need it, then that is equity. The goal is not that everyone has the same box but everyone can see the game. Nowhere is this distinction more important than in workplaces. In a workplace, equality might mean offering every employee the same training session. Equity means offering additional coaching to those who did not have the same educational opportunities. Equality might be offering everyone the same work-from-home policy. Equity might mean adapting those policies to accommodate someone with a disability or someone caring for an ageing parent. Equity does not mean favouritism. It means recognising that some people are running the same race but with heavier shoes – or shoes that do not fit. Critics often argue that equity feels unfair, is uncomfortable and creates favourites. But equity does not pit people against each other. It lifts those who have been left behind. This can feel challenging to those who are used to seeing fairness as strict uniformity. But offering the same thing to everyone in unequal circumstances does not level the playing field – it reinforces the imbalance. This is not to say equality is irrelevant. Equality is a worthy goal – a future state where we might not need equity based adjustments because everyone does start from the same line. Organisations that embrace equity build cultures of inclusion. They recognise that support does not have to be identical to be fair but is has to be meaningful. #management #equity #equality #workplace #aimwa #fairness #leadership #hr #humanresources Cartoon used under licence: CartoonStock

125

91 Comments

Facilitation is all about being present, being authentic even at the risk of being vulnerable. While people around strive to bask in standing ovations, spotlights and razzmatazz a facilitator believes in being invisible, being an anchor, being a catalyst that allows the group to reflect and share. While the world aspires to be the loudest speaker, makes noise about how good they are and how much they know, a facilitator chooses to embrace silence. Rather than chasing complexities a facilitator prefers simplicity.. chooses to make learnings simple for the group. While everyone jumps to conclusions, makes judgements, attempts to prove only they are right and that their opinions have the highest value.. a facilitator tends to accept diversity, includes and involves every single person in the room, holds back his opinions, views and judgements. A facilitator challenges the group without making them feel challenged. A facilitator nudges the group without pushing them in a corner A facilitator supports the group without making them feel inferior or incompetent A facilitator questions the group without making them insecure. Doing facilitarion is easy .. being a facilitator is what takes efforts, practice and lot of self reflection and control. ##folksschool #cftp #facilitraining #seriouslearningthefunway FOLKS School Of Facilitation and Learning Sapna Jain,CFTP

60

14 Comments

Why do change initiatives fail more often than not? Yesterday, I spent the day in conversation with brilliant leaders, teaching three cases on driving change. As we unpacked what works — and what breaks — I was reminded of something I've seen too often in the last two decades advising executives and their organizations on their transformation efforts: Change does not fall apart because people aren’t smart or motivated. It falls apart when we forget the psychology underneath. Here are a few of the insights that came up in our rich discussion: (1) You can’t go all-in with half-in conviction. If belief isn’t deep — and shared — the wheels will wobble before they turn. (2) Appetite does not mean readiness. Excitement and capability are two very different things. Leaders and their teams may want change, but do not have the systems, resources, or clarity to step into it. (3) Pilots start the movement — but belief scales it. Experiments open the door, but strong conviction carries the work forward. Change initiatives look more like marathons than sprints, and conviction keeps us motivated as we run over bumps. (4) Change models must adapt to mental models. People don’t resist change — they resist being changed in ways that don’t make sense to them or that they don’t understand. (5) A beautiful idea on paper will break without the systems, habits, and coordination underneath. A solid strategy is important, but to carry the weight of change a solid execution is also needed. Execution is where strategy lives or dies. As we reflected on these insights, one of the leaders asked a thought-provoking question: “These ideas are logical. So why aren’t they used more often?” My answer: While simple, they’re not easy. And the difficulty is that humans are involved. Leading change is as much about understanding the psychology that drives behavior as it is about business acumen. What have you found helps change actually stick? #changeleadership #organizationalbehavior #transformation #execution #growthmindset #strategy #learning #growth

198

29 Comments

#MondaysWithMilind Active listening is a core competency of coaching. Many wonder how deep this goes. Under Co-active coaching, very deep. While these are very detailed concepts that cannot be described in totality here, we can still focus on the essence. Level 1 : Internal listening At Level 1, our awareness is on ourselves. We listen to the words of the other person, but the attention is on what it means to us personally. At Level 1, it is all about "me", my thoughts, my judgments, my feelings, my conclusions about myself and others. This is the level coachees need to be at. That's their job: to look at themselves and their lives - to process, think about, feel, understand. But it is definitely not appropriate for the coach to be operating at this self absorbed level for any length of time. Level 2 : Focused listening At level 2, there is a sharp focus on the other person. Sometimes, you can see it in each person's posture: both people are leaning forward and looking intently at each other. There is a great deal of attention on the other person and not much awareness of the outside world. Level 2 listening is the level of empathy, clarification, collaboration. At this level, coaches are unattached to self, their agenda, their thoughts, their opinions. You are no longer trying to figure out the next move. Level 3 : Global listening When you listen at Level 3, you listen as if the coachee and you are at the center of the universe, receiving information from everywhere at once. It is as if everything is being picked up by our antennae and becoming information to use. This is a new realm of listening. As a coach, what would you think of this concept? As a coachee, what do you think of your coach using these? Do share your thoughts. Would love to know Visual Architect : Jyoti Bagaria

56

69 Comments