Guest Blog Post by Joseph Kennard

Harry, a brand new leader, was working on the personnel schedule the other day. It is the bane of his existence. Normally, creating schedules would be easy. However, Harry’s predecessor had made a bevy of “back room deals” with team members over the years. For example, one staffer did not have to work Tuesdays because she attended school (even though she graduated two years earlier). Another team member receives a free pass on Thursdays because she has child care issues.  A final employee has received approvals for extended vacations during the busy season for years.  Add it together and the personnel schedule becomes a nightmare. The task becomes even more daunting for Harry because all the team members receiving special treatment were his peers just a few months ago!  Of course, they all expect Harry to honor the old deals, and some other staffers are asking for new deals of their own.

Learn from Harry’s experience.  When it comes to scheduling or any other endeavor, play it fair, across the board.  If special circumstances arise, be careful about granting exceptions to the rules. Also, make certain that your exceptions are fair and consistent. It may be uncomfortable at first, or even met with hostility, but it will build a better team through mutual respect and a sense of fair play.

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