| George Gallup said, "Employees don't leave jobs, they | | | | The early 90's brought a plethora of literature about |
| leave managers." He discovered this fact after | | | | discipline without punishment in an effort to show |
| surveying many workers in all kinds of industries. | | | | that discipline and punishment do not necessarily go |
| When he looked for what makes a job satisfying, he | | | | together. In fact while disciplining, a good manager |
| discovered the primary factor was the boss. If you | | | | learns to communicate expected behaviors in an |
| have a bad, frustrating boss, you might leave your | | | | open, clear, and direct manner. To discipline, you |
| job even if it is a good job. With the costs for | | | | must employ the principles of the SIJR Conversation, |
| hiring and training new people soaring each year, | | | | namely you want to create a two-way dialogue |
| organizations are looking for ways to retain | | | | about what you expect and what is possible from |
| employees. They pay people like Gallup to tell them | | | | both the manager's and the employee's perspective. |
| what factors keep people happy enough to stay in | | | | Coming from an orientation of the Three |
| their jobs. If you've ever had a job where you said, | | | | C's—curiosity, compassion and |
| "I really love my job, but my boss is driving me | | | | change—managers with high EI scores excel as |
| crazy," then you understand how important it is for | | | | disciplinarians. |
| bosses to learn how to deal with sticky situations | | | | Factors Inherent in any Disciplinary Conversation |
| involving subordinates. | | | | State behaviors that must change. When we |
| Daniel Goleman came up with a catchy concept called | | | | specify behaviors in the SIJR Conversation, we |
| Emotional Intelligence or EI. In his book, Primal | | | | identify the behaviors in a way that clearly |
| Leadership, he discovered that managers with a high | | | | communicates what we are talking about. Example: |
| retention rate also have a high EI—a high score on | | | | "Mark, you have missed the deadline for two major |
| compassion, listening, and caring about others. In | | | | projects. When you didn't get the work to Janice in |
| fact if you think back on the managers you've | | | | time, we had to shelve the project. It has caused |
| worked for in your life, what characteristics did they | | | | us to lose two rather important jobs. We must get |
| have? Here are a few I recall: good listener, positive | | | | your end of the project completed two weeks |
| attitude about my work, would challenge me but not | | | | before deadline." This example provides Mark with |
| beyond my limits, supportive, and enthusiastic. | | | | information about what behavior his boss expects as |
| Goleman found that managers who understood | | | | well as what problems his behavior caused. |
| feelings and emotions became more successful | | | | Keep the Other Person in Mind. In a disciplinary |
| leaders. A high EI score means you are a manager | | | | conversation, we open our minds to understanding |
| who strives to learn more about yourself and your | | | | more than our side of the story. Your organization |
| behaviors in order to improve your skills as a person, | | | | may have rules that may no longer prove |
| not just as a leader. In essence, you learn to care | | | | productive. When you allow employees to share |
| about yourself and about others at the same time. | | | | their frustrations, you open up the possibility to the |
| How to Discipline Using the SIJR Model | | | | existence of administrative barriers that block |
| Given what Gallup learned about leaders and what | | | | productivity. Example. Mark responds, "I missed |
| Daniel Goleman tells us about Emotional Intelligence, | | | | both deadlines because I got the project data too |
| how can those of us who want to be good | | | | late. Nathan couldn't get the data to me because his |
| managers effectively discipline employees? | | | | computer crashed." |
| Discipline carries a negative connotation fraught with | | | | Select the Right Time and Place. We all remember |
| memories of trips to the principal's office or of | | | | our dread when our teachers sent us to the |
| scolding words from our parents. An empathetic | | | | principal's office. As children, we recognized the |
| manager with a high EI score might find disciplining | | | | principal's office as a place of power where we did |
| tough. In answer to the question—how can we | | | | not belong. Before delivering the bad news, think |
| manage with compassion and still discipline—we | | | | about the place and the time. Find a place that feels |
| must understand exactly what discipline means. The | | | | safe to the other person. If you work in the world |
| word discipline comes from the Latin word diciplina, | | | | of cubicles, go to one of the conference rooms. |
| meaning disciple. Wikipedia tells us that discipline has | | | | Be careful not to share bad news when the person is |
| as its root discere "to learn," and derives from | | | | experiencing a personal crisis or about to give an |
| discipulus, or pupil. A disciple, therefore, is a follower | | | | important presentation. Select a time that will enable |
| or a student. Similarly, to discipline someone means | | | | you to have an open dialogue. If the time you |
| to teach that person. | | | | select adds pressure, the dialogue will shut down. |