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Punishment and Fear

Have you ever been punished by your boss?

Maybe it takes the subtle form of a vacation request that's denied. Or, maybe it's more obvious like a probationary period when some of your privileges are at stake. It could be an authorization level that gets lowered. It could be a stern warning that unless things change you'll be headed for the exit.

There are lots of ways that bosses punish team members.

How do you like it?

Punishment and fear create short term compliance and long term rebellion.

Maybe the side effects are immediate, like a passive aggressive destruction of an important document. Oops. Maybe the side effects happen way down the road, as people mysteriously leave the organization to find a less punishing environment. But the side effects are inevitable.  What does punishment teach? Punishment teaches how to punish.

Is that what you want?

There are better ways to improve performance:

- Coaching
- Rewarding good performance
- Acknowledging effort
- Setting clear expectations
- Following up regularly
- Setting sensible boundaries
- Recruiting the right people

...and dozens more that will help much more than punishing people. It's your choice. What kind of culture do you want to be famous for?



-- Douglas Brent Smith


key words:

Comments

  1. Small Business Leadership CoachingOctober 31, 2012 at 12:58 AM

    Small Business Leadership Coaching requires that the team should have a strong sense of teamwork. A team that works well together has a huge advantage when tasks become tedious or are long-term. A powerful team is determined to weather storms through thick or thin.

    Small Business Leadership Coaching

    ReplyDelete

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