Principles for effective discipline in leadership

Principles of effective discipline in leadership 

Administering punishment or disciplinary action should not be a joy for the leader but rather a moment of sadness, as failure by subordinates is not the aim of any effective leader. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary discipline is defined as the training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. It is training a person in mind and character to enable him to become a self-controlled, constructive member of an organisation or of society.

Mark Twain says: "There is nothing training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach. It can turn bad morals to good; it can destroy bad principles and recreate good ones; it can lift men to angelship." The following are the general principles for effective discipline:

1. Diagnose before you prescribe: Before you punish someone, get your facts straight and think the matter through; Stick to facts and describe the facts specifically and concretely. Avoid generalizing the matter. Your job is to understand what made someone do what he or she did. This means understanding the offending person and his problems from his perspective. Disciplinary action should aim at helping the subordinate correct the fault concerned and not at hurting the person. Therefore, it should be made clear to the subordinate why he or she is being criticised. People can look at the same set of facts in totally different ways. People are not alike; we are born and made differently.
2. Punishment should immediately follow the offence with an explanation of exactly why the subordinate is being punished so that the offender can relate the offence to the punishment. Punishment should be fair. Let the natural consequences of wrong behaviour affect the subordinates. Subordinates must know that their actions and decisions have inevitable consequences, and they must consider these before they act. Let justice prevail; let the subordinate get what he or she deserves. Leaders have the duty to justify their decisions and actions. It is the duty of subordinates to obey their leaders.
3. Physical punishment should never be used and never attack the person's self-image when punishing wrong behaviour. Offensive language should not be used. Never punish, scold or correct anyone on the spot or in front of others and never punish the whole group if the punishment is intended for one or two only.
4. Punishment should be consistent. Write down offences and their respective types of punishment. The same offence should always attract the same punishment. Ensure norms which contribute to discipline are established and strengthened. Set high, but reasonable limits and realistic standards in all things that relate to the success of your organisation.  Make sure your subordinates obey. "keep the rules and the rules will keep you." Rules are meant to help the leader keep the spirit in the organisation.
5. Teach obedience and respect for authority. Deliberate defiance of your authority as a leader must always be punished. To demand blind obedience from adults without making them understand why they are to obey can make them rebel. Leaders should realise that obedience is not the result of fear, but of understanding. Subordinates will test the limits to be sure you mean what you say. You must respond to each test and let them learn that you mean what you say and you will enforce it. So, never make a command or a threat that you are not will to enforce or carry out, and never lie to your subordinates, for they must be able to trust you in order to respect you.
6. Control your emotions and use the serpent's wisdom when dealing with issues. Anger, shouting does not work in controlling subordinates. Punishment given under the influence of anger or in public are always wrong and can only do more harm. Normal carelessness, neglect, forgetfulness as long as it is not deliberate disobedience should be handled with wisdom. All the rules or laid down procedures should not be applied mechanically. A good leader will not throw his weight around, but use the wisdom of the serpent in order to make sure that the basic human rights are not trampled upon.
7. Reward good behaviour. This motivates the subordinates who are meeting standards to continue their performance, and reinforces the established standards of conduct. C. P. Varkey says, "The only really effective way to transform anyone to become more human was to treat him in a really human manner. You cannot make good omelettes with rotten eggs. You cannot make people polite using impolite methods."
8. Forgiveness: When a subordinate is genuinely sorry, forgive him. Do not punish for natural exploration if the limits were not known the subordinates. He must accept full responsibility for the problem and must not make fun excuses. If you have forgiven him, keep no record of  the wrong he has done and give him another chance.
9. See what they see and feel what they feel: The key to effective discipline is being able to get behind the eyes of your subordinates, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel; their fears, frustrations and disappointments. A leader who intuitively comprehends his subordinate's feelings is in a position to respond appropriately and meet the needs that are apparent.
10. Lastly, when your standards are not met, analyze the situation and decide on a course of action for handling the situations. A person is disciplined for the sake of general harmony and to give him a strong, positive self-image. A person can be trained to use reason and good sense. Appropriately disciplining people is critical to high morale, good order and discipline.