Discipline #1 – Before You Drop The Hammer
March 5, 2012 – 8:00 am
One of the most difficult tasks that a supervisor must perform is the disciplining of employees. Some supervisors are afraid of coming down too hard and coming off as the bad guy. Others try too hard to show that they are “the boss” and wind up alienating employees and causing resentment. Still others prefer to take the path of least resistance and just ignore a situation that requires discipline in the hopes that it will go away. All of these approaches usually prove to be unsuccessful.
Disciplinary action is most effective when it is administered very selectively. If you find yourself handing out reprimands and suspension frequently, then you have a problem. Contrary to popular perception, discipline is not necessarily a punishment – it is a tool to correct unacceptable behavior and get the employee back on the right track.
The first and most basic rule of disciplining is, in order to know when they are breaking the rules, employees first need to know what the rules are. Make sure that your subordinates have a copy of the employee handbook, the policy manual and any other relevant rules or regulations. (We will discuss the nuances of constructing a usable policy manual in a future article) You may even want to invite a representative from the Human Resources Department to roll call to conduct a refresher course so that all of your folks understand the guidelines that govern the workplace.
Next, your subordinates need to understand what you expect from them. Spell out what it takes to be successful in your unit or department. For example, do not expect everyone to know that you are a stickler for clean work spaces or punctuality unless you have said so. If employees are expected to come in early and stay late, it’s important that they are told that. Remember that the “unwritten rules” of the workplace are not worth the paper they are written on – or something like that.
I will explore other disciplinary issues in future articles and I expect you to read them all in a timely manner. See how easy it is to tell people what you expect?
If you would like to read the other articles in this four part series, just type “discipline” in the search box or click on the “Supervision” category in the right column.
My Essentials of Effective Supervision course includes an extensive discussion of employee discipline and a variety of other topics that will improve your supervisory skills. This four day course is pre-approved for DCJS in-service credit in Virginia so it can be conducted at any location. For more information, send me an e-mail at rich@rlsei.com or give me a call at 540.797.3853.