Correction

Correction - Punishment intended to reform, improve or rehabilitate. We could also say that it is the ability to remove what is wrong to preserve what is right. What motivates us to do the things we do? We all have four basic motivations:
1. We feel responsible and commit ourselves to do them.
2. We fear the consequences of not doing them. 3. We desire and enjoy the feeling of achievement.
4. We have goals or a dream we want to fulfill.

The most common motivation is the second one: the fear of consequences. It is not the best, but it is the most common motivation. The average employee works for fear of losing their job. Some hate their job, but keep working in it for years. The fear of losing their business motivates many business people to keep working hard. Even marriages hold up for fear of a bad reputation or financial ruin. It is not wrong to have a measure of fear. In fact, no business, family or society can survive without it. Some of these fears make us faithful and responsible. Without the fear of consequences we may not stay faithful under the pressure of temptation.

Everything alive that has been trained and becomes valuable understands fear motivation. Punishing wrongdoing chases wrong behavior or bad ideas from us. Horses, dogs, lions, kids, and adults all must understand the principle of reward for good and punishment for bad. Without a certain sense of fear we cannot function properly. The fear of penalty or loss will cause everyone and everything to follow certain internal disciplines that develop good behavior. These trained behaviors increase the value of the disciplines. This is a principle that has been ignored in North America. That is why children carry guns to school and crime is on the rise. Their fear of punishment is less than the benefits they believe they will get from their actions. It is impossible to manage a family, a business or a society without a set of laws that will put fear in us. Yes, we must teach and love good values and the rewards they bring us, but we must also teach the cost of not following them. Every action has a reaction. Every behavior has a consequence. Every positive has a negative. It’s the rule of life, and none of us can change it.

This fear of punishment is not the best or most important motivation, but it is an immovable, hard fact of life. The sooner we embrace it, the better off we will be. The fear of correction that hurts must be rooted in the back of every mind. The rules must be fair and just, but when they are broken it must hurt mentally, physically and financially. There is a price that goes with doing what is wrong.

1. We remain firm in our principles for fear of the cost of violating them.

2. We are motivated to obtain better tools and grow personally to do a better job to avoid the penalty.

3. High standards are upheld and our family, businesses and society benefits from that. This is a universal law.

1. Establish clear rules with clear consequences when they are broken.

2. Communicate the rules clearly; this eliminates ignorance and the fear of the unknown. This also allows people to measure themselves.

3. Be ready to explain the reasons behind the rules, people need to know the motivation. Laws without love create anger and rebellion. Rules and laws provoke resistance if the reasons behind them are not understood.

4. Make the punishment fit the crime. Keep a balance and be aware that different people need different levels of consequences, everyone responds differently. This is especially true with children.

It is impossible to lead a family or business without a set of rules. We should fear the law but also understand that the laws are there for the good of all. We need to teach love, good values, and the benefits that come with them but we should also teach the consequence when we stray and don’t follow what has been laid out.

Correction creates value. The rules need to be equitable and just and when they are broken they should bring pain in some form. If there are no penalties the rules lose their value.

If we are managing and motivating people, we must first establish rules that bring tough consequences when broken and be up to the challenge of enforcing them. This will let people know what we want and expect of them.

This allows them to work freely within the framework of the established boundaries. Everyone should be measured by the same standard, eliminating favoritism.

If you want to dance, you can’t be concerned about stepping on toes.

Why do we hate correction?

Think of an example of a consequence in your life lately, what did you learn, did it change your behavior?

Which of the four motivations for doing things applies best to you?