133. Stop Getting Caught Up In The Fairness Game

Do you know the difference between equality and equity?

It's a distinction that could be at the heart of some of the issues you're facing at your center. 

Equality is all about fairness. It's about treating each and every person exactly the same way. 

And while that may seem great in theory, in practice, it ultimately harms your center's culture and prevents you from maximizing your team's potential.

Let me give you a real-life example from a school leader who I'll call Lisa.

Lisa was leading a group of 30 teachers, and she was struggling with team accountability—specifically punctuality.

One of the teachers that was failing to show up on time was a single mom. Without any help at home, she couldn't find a way to get her kids to school and come to work on time.

Being the empathetic leader she is, Lisa could see that the issue was largely outside of the teacher's control. Plus, the teacher was otherwise very reliable and wonderful at her job.

So, to solve the problem, Lisa was willing to create a flexible schedule that would allow the teacher to stay late to make up for the missed time in the morning.

Except for one problem: fairness.

Even though she had come up with a reasonable solution, Lisa was afraid to implement it out of fear of being unfair to the other teachers.

The thing is, life isn't fair. Nor should it be!

Why? Because every single person is different. And by ignoring that fact, you risk denying what makes them unique and alienating them rather than lifting them up.

The solution, then, is to treat your team equitably rather than equally.

Unlike equality, which views everyone through the lens of sameness, equity is about seeing people's differences and providing them with what they need to succeed.

By recognizing that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, you can create a stronger and more cohesive team.

And isn't that the ultimate goal?

In this week's podcast episode, I'm exploring what I like to call "the fairness game," or the idea that treating people equally is the mark of good leadership. As you'll learn in the episode, this is far from the truth and can actually harm your center.

Join me for a conversation about:

• Why treating all employees fairly, or equally, is a bad idea
• The important difference between equality and equity
• How to create an equitable environment at your center
• Replacing fairness-based leadership with values-based leadership

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

  If you're looking for long-term support in creating a healthier school environment, join our Owner's Only HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain ongoing access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you become a stronger leader for your center.

In addition to creating a more equitable environment, you can learn to maximize your team's potential by attending our on-demand Delegate to Elevate Workshop. During the 90-minute online workshop, you'll learn how to delegate effectively so you can develop a high-performing team that can support you as you work toward building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/delegate

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.