Do you have a problem employee in your organization?
Every organization has its own share of problem employee/s; name any organization
and there is somebody who creates headache for the manager/leader.
How would you deal with this problem employee? Would you immediately impose
punishment or you talk to him/her first? It’s no brainer that the best course
of action to take is to talk to this problem employee/s first, for all you know
he/she only needs attention.
Punishment must always be the last option for an erring employee. Because the
moment you impose punishment. You are actually planting the seeds of resentment
in the heart of your employee and this is best illustrated by this short story.
Mr. X is an HR manager in a private organization, like other HR managers he
also has his own share of problem employees. But what makes him unique is this:
He has never resorted to punishment to straighten out a problem subordinate. He
always resorts to diplomacy and so far this method always bears fruit for him.
When asked why does he refuse to use punishment as a tool in disciplining
erring employee/s? This was his short but insightful answer.
When he was a child he was always been subjected to corporal punishment by his
retired military man father. Whenever he commits a wrongdoing there was always
a corporal punishment immediately imposed upon him.
But unknown to his father there was always resentment in his heart whenever he
was punished. The trend of imposing punishment as a means to correct his breach
of discipline continued for a long period of time. until it reached a
boiling point that he argued with his father.
Punishment as a measure of discipline always has its limitations; it may work
initially but the moment you impose punishment you are actually igniting the
smoke of resentment in the hearts of your erring employees. Until such time
that this smoke becomes a full blown fire that can destroy not only you but
also the entire organization.
Always use diplomacy first in dealing with your erring employee/s for this is
the best path to take. Then if all else fails you can now resort to the
appropriate punishment. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
