Effective Discipline

Discipline is the key to success. Theodore Roosevelt has said “With self-

discipline almost everything is possible”. Self discipline makes

employee realize what is required at work. Discipline can be positively

related to performance. It is the bridge between goals and

accomplishments. Effective discipline should be aimed at the behavior,

and not at the employee personality. This because the reason for

discipline is to improve performance rather than punishing the

employee.

Factors necessary for effective disciplinary system include:

1. Training of supervisors is necessary: Supervisors and mangers

need to be trained on when and how discipline should be used. It is

necessary to provide training on counseling skills as these skills are

used while dealing with problem employees. Moreover, discipline

decisions taken by trained supervisors are considered fair by both

employees and managers.

2. Centralization of discipline: Centralized means that the discipline

decisions should be uniform throughout the organization. The

greater the uniformity, higher will be the effectiveness of discipline

procedure.

3. Impersonal discipline: Discipline should be handled

impersonally. Managers should try to minimize the ill feelings

arising out of the decisions by judging the offensive behavior and

not by judging the person. Managers should limit their emotional

involvement in the disciplinary sessions.

4. Review discipline decisions: The disciplinary decisions must be

reviewed before being implemented. This will ensure uniformity

and fairness of the system and will minimize the arbitrariness of

the disciplinary system.

5. Notification of conduct that may result in discipline: Actions

that lead to misconduct can be listed and documented so the

employees are aware of such actions. This will unable them to

claim that they have not been notified, in advance, regarding the

same.

6. Information regarding penalties: The employer should define

the penalties and other actions like warnings, reprimands,

discharge and dismissal well in advance. All these action plans

must be communicated to the employees.

7. Discipline shall be progressive: Discipline system should be

progressive in nature. In a progressive discipline approach the

severity of actions to modify behavior increases with every step as

the employee continues to show improper behavior. The advantage

of this approach is that employees can’t take it for granted.

8. Documentation: Effective discipline requires accurate, written

record keeping and written notification to the employees. Thus less

chance will be left for the employee to say the he “did not know”

about the policy.

9. Discipline should be fair: The disciplinary decision should be fair

enough for the employee. Both over-penalization and under-

penalization are considered to be unfair for the problem employee.

Moreover, an internal fairness is to be maintained, that is, two

employees who have committed the same offense should be

equally punished.

10. Discipline shall be flexible and consistent: The manager

administering discipline must consider the effect of actions taken

by other managers and of other actions taken in the past.

Consistent discipline helps to set limits and informs people about

what they can and cannot do. Inconsistent discipline leads to

confusion and uncertainty.

11. Disciplinary action should be prompt: The effective

discipline should be immediate. The longer time lag between the

misconduct offense and the disciplinary action will result in

ineffectiveness of the discipline.