Uneven Expectations Cause Uneven Results (Are You Spreading Accountability Fairly?)

What's good for the goose is good for the gander as the old saying goes. So when you are in charge of more then one employee it would make sense that your expectation of them is the same.

You can't hold one to a higher standard then another and their mistakes or short comings should logically be approached the same way. If two employees have the same issues, whether it is consistently late, unfinished work, staff conflicts or missed shifts then the consequences should be equal.

When accountability isn't spread evenly among your multiple staff members you end up with not only unhappy employees towards you, as the one making the decisions of what is ok and what isn't and by who, but towards the employee with the perceived upper hand.

There is no better way to start conflict and negativity among your staff then either knowingly or unknowingly pitting them against each other. Not only does it stir the pot in your little work family but it also causes hard working employees who are being held to the higher standard (which sounds like a good thing but in the workforce it usually means that there is more expected out of you then others) to start the slippery slope to disengaging from the workplace. Once disengaged, it's one poor choice of words or bad day to go from one foot to both feet out the door.

Standards and expectations of your staff should always be high but it should be for all of them. Turning a blind eye to one workers short comings but pointing out or punishing your higher standard employee for similar behaviour does nothing but teach one nothing and shove another one closer to the door.

Accountability for all means the workload is spread evenly and that there is no hard feelings or in house conflict. Keeping your workplace equal and fair means having a peaceful, cohesive workplace, which in turn always means higher productivity and in turn a more profitable business.