HIGH FIVE

“It is important to have a decision process that is consistent”

Rostow Ravanan, CEO, Mindtree on five ways to ensure fairness in an organisation

|
Published 5 years ago on May 08, 2019 1 minute Read
Deepak G Pawar

Define the decision process: Have a clear and transparent process on who will make the decisions and what are the inputs he or she will consider while making the decision.  

Communicate the rationale: Decisions, even when they are not favourable, will be viewed as fair when you explain the rationale behind the decision. You could have made the decision taking into consideration a lot of variables but unless you explain the rationale behind it, the efforts would be futile.   

Ensure consistency: Make sure your decision-making process is consistent. However, this can be challenging across different time periods. For instance, during a weak quarter, you could set a lower threshold for pricing and when it comes to hiring, you may be open to deviations in compensation for a certain group due to skill shortage, compared to another group. While the context may change, it is important to have a decision process that is consistent. 

Have a feedback mechanism: Draw up a structured process for feedback and allow employees to ask questions and air their grievances. Once that is voiced, leaders have to acknowledge and address the grievance rather quickly. That increases the perception of fairness within the organisation.  

Actions speak louder than words: People watch what you say, so do what you have promised to. It is highly essential to walk the talk. If decisions go wrong as they do at times, it is very important how quickly you respond and correct the decision