At my workplace, the ratio of men to women is roughly 4:1 among 200 employees. I manage a team of 30 and was recently asked by my MD to put forward six team members to be considered for promotion. I am all for meritocracy in the workplace but am unhappy to have been told to ensure that at least three of the names must be female (to redress a managerial imbalance). I find this to be divisive. I am not even sure if it is legal. How can I persuade my MD to think again?
Instinctively I think it’s absolutely right that it should be the best person for the job. I’d probably let my boss know this and say that I’m uncomfortable about showing bias towards either gender. However, if they were really insistent on it I would produce two selections: one on merit, which should be done first and might even consist of all women. Then do another one based on what you’ve been asked to do. You might find that the choice is so tight that it doesn’t actually compromise much. If it’s worlds apart then it’s your job to make a case for why the candidates on your list are the right ones and why it would be the wrong decision to pick someone else. But give them the option.
Ensure your boss understands your reluctance to carry out this list — that way you’ve kind of done your bit. It’s through voicing dissatisfaction that you actually get things changed. If you feel uncomfortable but say nothing, then you’re complicit. If enough people say something then it gets changed.
I have recently bought a small seaside hotel that enjoys a loyal but ageing clientele and a long-standing, traditional staff. Whilst I value the old folks and appreciate my devoted team, I am keen to attract a younger crowd and bring my place into the 21st century. My initial attempts at winning over both the staff and guests with my ideas have proved disastrous and I am beginning to feel powerless although I am the owner of the hotel. I don’t want to alienate anyone. How can I convince them that it will be a positive change and reassert some control?
This is all about presentation. I would let everyone know what the goals are for the business and why. Explain that you need to be relevant to people today: to have a modern feel that is not necessarily age defined. Saying that everything they’ve done before is out of touch is bound to alienate, and you will lose good people with the bad. Set a timescale, then decide on the relevance of the business going into the future. But if you allow it to take too long, people think that they’re going to get away with no change. The clearest message here is to say, look, we’re going to do this and the business is going to transform. We’re not just talking about it, it’s going to happen.
Deborah Meaden is author of Common Sense Rules, £18.99
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