Gommunicating discipline to survive

By Laddie F. Hutar, CMC President Hutar Growth Management Institute Glenview, Il.

TMAGINE a company in which all Iworkers begin the day when they want, do what they please when they please, and leave the job as soon as they tire of it. Needless to say, such a company would not stay in business very long.

Discipline identifies the rules and regulations of a company, helping direct people trying to reach a definite goal. In business, management exercises discipline through communicati9n, such as in:

\l

Ptanning. Discipline begins with a plan which must be worded so that only one interpretation is possible.

Supervision means helping employees do a better job now, not criticizing a poor job after it has been completed.

^tY Preparing for action. The practical contribution of communication and discipline is most evident when implementing the plan by:

(a) Timing the message

(b) Coordinating the effort

(c) Providing the physical facilities

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^IY Instructing. Discipline is concerned with what must be done, and how it is to be done. Communication mpst lead to an agreement.

^tY Supervising. Supervision helps ensure employees do their jobs properly. It means helping them do a better job now, not criticizing a poor job after it has been completed.

Measuring results. Discipline requires that a constant check be made to ensure that the final result repembles the original written plan.

1 Making adjustments. When reports of weaknesses in a plan are received by top management, a cycle of communication has been complet- ed from top to bottom in the chain of command. Fine-tune plans to correct eITOrS.

Use the top checklist to gauge your company's skill regarding discipline, and the lower to plan how to improve:

Date Dept.

How good are we in the following areas?

Area Very Gooc Good Fair Poor Comments

Planning

Preparing for action

Delegating

Instructing

Supervising

Measuring Results

Fine-tuning

How willwe improve in the following areas?

Area What is to be improved