A prlnclple LhaL sLaLes a dlsclpllne should lmmedlaLely follow an lnfracLlon

provlde ample warnlng be conslsLenL and be lmpersonal

Good d|sc|p||ne (or a ru|e) |s ||ke a hot stove |n that
L provldes a warnlng (feels hoL)
L ls conslsLenL (burns every Llme)
L ls lmmedlaLe (burns now)
L ls lmpersonal (burns all allke)




The "Hot Stove Rule"
However well you handle discipline it remains an unpleasant task that oIten causes
resentment. The challenge to the supervisor is to apply the necessary disciplinary
action so that it minimizes damage to individuals and to the manager himselI.
A really eIIective way to incorporate positive discipline & negative discipline is to
adopt the hot stove rule. When you touch a hot stove, the reaction is immediate,
with warning, consistent, & impersonal.
For example:
The burn is immediate; there is no doubt about the cause and eIIect
There was advance communication, since everyone knows what happens iI you
touch a stove when it's red hot
The result is consistent; whoever touches a hot stove will always get burned
The result is impersonal because whoever touches a hot stove is burned. The burn
was caused by the act oI touching the stove, not because oI who the person is.
Discipline should be directed against the act and not against the person.