Benefits Of Positive Discipline In The Workplace

Positive discipline is a gentle discipline model that many parents adopt for their children. Through positive discipline, the behaviour is considered “good and bad” rather than the child themselves. 

It is a very effective way of teaching a child right from wrong without labelling them as such. Research shows that when we attribute certain qualities to our children they start to adopt them and practice them as gospel.

Positive discipline helps avoid this.

Through positive discipline, the goal is to be child-centred and to focus on the individual rather than a general “this is good and this is bad” approach to discipline. When the parent notices undesirable behaviour within the child the aim is to help them work through it without raising their voice or being physical.

This compassionate form of discipline is very effective as it helps a child to manage situations better. It helps them understand good behaviour from bad behaviour in a meaningful way.

One of the most important elements of positive discipline is reinforcing positive behaviour. That is not to say that difficult or challenging behaviour is ignored but rather the positive behaviour is given a bigger spotlight and sense of attention.

The focus is on encouraging the kind of behaviour that you want to see more of rather than highlighting the latter in a very intense way. It is a collaborative experience where parent and child work together.

Positive discipline has so many long-term benefits when it comes to how our children handle social situations, relationships and work life in the future. For this reason, it is easy to see how this model can be used really effectively in a school setting. In the very same way, it can work very well in the workplace.

In the workplace, the simple act of commenting on and encouraging good behaviour is a powerful way to increase productivity levels. By using positive discipline in the workplace the focus is on the employee’s behaviour rather than on them personally.

This can make it easier for an employee to adopt change and improve upon elements of their work as they feel less exposed and judged in terms of their personality. The focus is on the way they behave in a working capacity.

Positive discipline in the workplace is very much a collaboration. Much like with parenting, it is a two-way street and results are much better when issues are worked through together rather than instructions and commands simply being dictated from one person to another.

Working together has a long-term positive effect on how the employee will approach future work projects and scenarios as it gives a deeper understanding of what is expected and what results are desirable.

Communication is key if positive discipline is to be a success in your workplace. Appropriate conversations should take place privately if an employee is performing in a way that management deem incorrect or not in line with the goals of the day, project or company ethos.

By respectfully drawing attention to the issue as soon as it happens the employee has something tangible to think about rather than it building up and suddenly feeling unrelatable and unjust. Through this open line of communication actions and goals can be agreed upon to improve the situation.

The employee should not feel attacked or threatened and it is always a good idea to commend the employee on the things that they are doing very well as this has been proven to make the “collaboration” and goal setting stage a much more positive experience with better long-term results.