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Punishing the wrong people aka Yet Another rant...
I've started this blog 5 times today, and just can't seem to get my thoughts together. So here goes with #6.
A sure way to create dis-harmony, poor moral, and a loss of manpower in a company is to punish the wrong people. Yes, I said "punish the wrong people".
Now you ask "What do you mean the wrong people ?".
The wrong people are the members of your company who "do it right". People who make every possible effort to get the classes, do the drills, take the seminars, follow the rules as required by the job.
When someone slides, or is allowed to "ignore" the requirements of the "job" or "membership" it pisses off the people who go out of their way to "get it done". It tells the people who make the effort to do what is required that they don't matter, and that their effort is wasted.
In addition there are safety issues, and liability issues that come into play. Even with all that, even though everyone knows the consequences they still let some "slide" and continue to punish the wrong people.
The people who should be "punished" are the people who don't do what the job, or membership, requires. The fact that you may be a "volunteer" doesn't come into it. I've heard it all. " I volunteer to be a firefighter, so you can't make me do it!" , or "We're volunteers aren't we?", or other similar remarks. If you volunteer to join the armed forces of the United States, and you can't decide not to go where you're told. You volunteer to join a group of like minded people, and agree to follow the rules and regulations of that group.
You may have guessed, that I'm one of the "wrong" people. I have worked my butt off, lost money, and spent a great deal of my time to get what I'm supposed to get, even if it means driving 5 hours to the Academy for a class. Yet, after hours of conversations with the powers that be, who by the way agreed with not punishing the wrong people, still allowed several people to "slide".
So I say to you, if you are in a position to let someone slide, think carefully about what you're about to do, and "STOP PUNISHING THE WRONG PEOPLE!"
You may just find, one day, that all you have left are the "sliders".
A sure way to create dis-harmony, poor moral, and a loss of manpower in a company is to punish the wrong people. Yes, I said "punish the wrong people".
Now you ask "What do you mean the wrong people ?".
The wrong people are the members of your company who "do it right". People who make every possible effort to get the classes, do the drills, take the seminars, follow the rules as required by the job.
When someone slides, or is allowed to "ignore" the requirements of the "job" or "membership" it pisses off the people who go out of their way to "get it done". It tells the people who make the effort to do what is required that they don't matter, and that their effort is wasted.
In addition there are safety issues, and liability issues that come into play. Even with all that, even though everyone knows the consequences they still let some "slide" and continue to punish the wrong people.
The people who should be "punished" are the people who don't do what the job, or membership, requires. The fact that you may be a "volunteer" doesn't come into it. I've heard it all. " I volunteer to be a firefighter, so you can't make me do it!" , or "We're volunteers aren't we?", or other similar remarks. If you volunteer to join the armed forces of the United States, and you can't decide not to go where you're told. You volunteer to join a group of like minded people, and agree to follow the rules and regulations of that group.
You may have guessed, that I'm one of the "wrong" people. I have worked my butt off, lost money, and spent a great deal of my time to get what I'm supposed to get, even if it means driving 5 hours to the Academy for a class. Yet, after hours of conversations with the powers that be, who by the way agreed with not punishing the wrong people, still allowed several people to "slide".
So I say to you, if you are in a position to let someone slide, think carefully about what you're about to do, and "STOP PUNISHING THE WRONG PEOPLE!"
You may just find, one day, that all you have left are the "sliders".
Add a Comment
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Comment by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on February 12, 2009 at 2:04pm
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Negative behavior-in this case, not attending classes, drills, seminars and not following the rules-is reinforced by introducing the wrong stimuli or by ignoring it. Negative behavior has to be met with the proper negative reinforcement to change the behavior. Now, it's not that scientific. All that is required is someone with the authority and fortitude to do it. If someone misses a class that they were suppose to attend, then they pay the registration fee back AND they go to the bottom of the list the next time a class is available and seating is limited. There should be an opportunity to take "make up" training. If the make up training is missed and they fall below the minimum that they can miss, then placed them OOS for 30 days. If they knowingly violate departmental rules, then everything from letters of reprimand, fines, suspension or expulsion should be in any disciplinary procedure.
The key to successfully improving the situation is to do it in EVERY case.
If you don't, then your department will start to deteriorate.
You don't have to have STRICT rules, but enforce what you have. THAT is the key.
Good luck.
Art
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Comment by FETC on February 11, 2009 at 7:21pm
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Nothing worse than punishing the whole crew for the actions of one who you have let slide.
Only thing worse than that is doing it over the email system five minutes before that chief officer goes home for the day.... gutless.
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