Story 27: Equity
The story: The Q2 strategy was equity. Then, at the closing meeting: bonuses will be the same for everyone. Hold on, he said. What about individual contribution? She had meant equal shares. He had heard a system that ignored performance. The word had been on the screen for a quarter. Neither had asked what it meant.
What it means for organisations: Equity is the one word in the series that already has two settled definitions, and both are respectable. Equal shares treats people the same. Proportional shares treats contributions the same. A team can hold either without confusion for as long as the word stays on a slide. It only resolves the day money is attached to it, and by then the structure is built and someone has already been told what they are getting.
Where next?
Read the comic as text
The Alignment Gap, Story 27
by Stavros Stavru, Ph.D. (weallagreed.com)
Scene 1: The laptop
An office with a bookshelf, a pinboard, a hanging lamp, and plants. Ally and Axel sit side by side at a desk, leaning in toward a laptop whose screen reads "Q2 = EQUITY." Ally points at the screen, and both look pleased.
Ally: Sounds great!
Banner between scenes: “What could go wrong?”
Scene 2: Closing Q2
A meeting room with a large screen reading "CLOSING Q2," windows onto the city, and a table with laptops, notebooks, and cups. Ally stands by the screen, cheerfully presenting. Axel sits at the table, hands raised in objection.
Ally: Great news! Q2 bonuses will be the same for everyone!
Axel: Hold on… What about individual contribution?
Share this story: LinkedIn ↗
