Five Subtle Ways To Punish Your Employees

We live in an enlightened age of management. I recently surveyed a group of senior executives on their management practices and only a small minority saw any value in punishing poor performance. There are hardly any companies I know of that still call upon our rich tradition of such motivational practices as the rack or flogging.

Many would say that this is a good thing, since punishment has a distressing tendency to drive down performance. Rather than taking punishment as a sign that we need to improve, our self-image demands we see it as unmerited. Aggressive behavior toward the one punishing is then experienced as rewarding, so it becomes in our best interests to do the opposite of what our managers want.

Even so, judging from the behavior I've observed, it seems that many of us still harbor the feeling that punishment is a necessary management tool. Whether it's expressed as "understanding the consequences," "sending a tough message," or "making it clear who's in charge," it's deemed as essential to motivation.

So for those unable to escape the logic of our new understanding of the psychology of work, but not quite ready to jettison such a tried and true approach, I offer five subtle ways to punish your employees.

1. Act as if just because you're the manager, you're entitled to tell people what to do. Because people are genetically driven to pursue their own self-interest, they resent and resist any attempts to control them. Being ordered around drives them crazy.

2. Keep people waiting for a meeting or don't give them your full attention when they're talking to you. People hate it when they're made to feel unimportant. But don't ever try it with your boss.

3. Never let people know where they stand. While feedback from the manager, whether negative or positive, doesn't improve performance, leaving people in limbo is sure to make them uncomfortable. Get rid of those measurement systems and coaching sessions that prompt an honest self-appraisal.

4. Rush in at the first sign that things are going wrong. If you don't give people the chance to solve their own problems, they'll quickly learn not to take responsibility or initiative. Within no time, they'll be tortured by self-doubt and overcome with ennui.

5. Behave as if you deserve to be the manager. Even though success requires skill and intelligence, we all know there is an element of being in the right place at the right time when promotional opportunities become available. Just never let your people know that you know. Flaunt your power instead and any interaction with you will become torture.

Follow my suggestions, and soon all of your people will be performing at a sub-par level, justifying even more punishment.