“A punishment is not self-explanitory. It serves no purpose until the person serving it knows the real reason for being punished.” Amit Pandey
“Reward good behavior, punish bad behavior,” a U.S. Army officer stated once when we were discussing the manipulation of the Army’s Officer Evaluation Report or OER by some commanders. The concept was appropriate for that discussion and that problem, and it is for the modern organization. Some people will misbehave. People, seek order and discipline in the workplace. I’m not advocating military discipline – rigid standards of appearance, physical fitness, and obedience. By discipline I mean training and influencing people to obey a set of rules and punishing those who do not. You can find more on discipline in Chapter 3 of my book, “It’s Personal, Not Personnel,” where I share my “List of Six,” desires of people in the workplace.
In the Army, as a commander, I had tremendous authority. I didn’t abuse it, rather, I respected and honored it. Backed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), I was the proverbial judge, jury, and executioner. If punishment was warranted, I could deliver it with a garnishment in pay, restriction to the barracks, or a reduction in rank (pay) to name a few. Soldiers did indeed have the right to seek legal counsel and representation.
I never looked at punishment as an easy button. I could deliver Article 15’s (military punishment) with the stroke of a pen however, I always felt it my duty to address the cause of the misbehavior – to challenge leaders to salvage the soldier. This was the hard part. It took work and we would not always be assured positive results. In the end I wanted us – myself and the chain of command to look ourselves in the mirror knowing that we did all we could. What is it then, to punish in a private organization in 2025? Here are my people-centric leadership thoughts…
