Dropping the F-bomb at Work

One of my favorite negotiation books is "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss. He talks about people dropping the F-bomb in the middle of negotiations, and it's usually as insulting as you might think. They'll say something along the lines of, "I don't think that is FAIR."

We humans invest an extraordinary amount of time contemplating if we are being treated fairly in the workplace. I've found that more often than not, people do have some legitimate basis for feeling like they're not being treated fairly. However, I recommend spending less time evaluating the level of fairness being administered to you, evaluating the situation for what it is, then taking action.

Some people don't feel like their being paid fairly. When people saying that to me, I ask them what they think they should be paid, and what information they have to back that number. Usually, the number originates from their imagination. I tell them to use salary.com and payscale.com to get a ballpark estimate of their market value. Neither tool is perfect, but they both beat "I think this number is fair." If your company won't pay you "fairly" find a company that will. Your market value is only what some company would actually pay you.

Some people don't feel like promotions are fair. We need to seek clarity regarding how promotions are earned in our organization. For every organization, It's some combination of performance, image, exposure, and qualifications. Examine those who have received promotions in your organization to see what's valued, then do likewise.

It's true that things are often not "fair." Make the decision to adapt to the situation, or put in the work to change the situation. Either way, stop dropping f-bombs.