The Problem With Punishment

What do you think of punishment?

That, you might say, depends on where you're looking at it: from the side of the punisher, or from the side of the punished. Either way, how effective do you think it is?

Sure, it will change behavior. The trouble is, it changes that behavior in ways you hadn't counted on. Punishing people teaches them that punishment is a viable strategy, so you can be sure that they'll start practicing it, too. It also teaches them to find ways to avoid getting caught -- not to stop their undesirable behavior but rather to keep you from knowing about it so that they don't get punished again.

Punishment creates a profound desire for revenge.

Leaders who punish incur side-effects worse than what triggered the punishment.

Does punishment ever make sense? Of course. Justice is important. Some people are so dangerous that keeping them away from society is the only humane thing to do. But punishing the people on your team by withholding basic human needs like attention, financial raises, and respect is counter-productive.

There are much better ways to change behavior.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

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