I don’t care how good you think your method of disciplining employees is, I can guarantee it’s wrong. How can I much such a seemingly absurd claim without knowing a thing about you? If you have only one method to discipline an employee, it will be received differently by each. At best, your process will only be moderately successful. Instead of disciplining them your way, discipline each one of them their own way.

When an employee starts with your company or during their periodic reviews or when discussing ways to motivate your team, ask your employee how they want you to address disciplinary issues should they ever come up. Let them lay down the rules.

Do they want you to email them or write them a formal letter? Do they prefer you call them into your office for a private meeting? Do they prefer you take them offsite to a local Starbucks to have a heart to heart? Document their preferred method in your HR file.

When your employees are disciplined the way they want to be, it is always received better than the one generic way you always do it. Plus there is an added bonus, it prevents office gossip. If your method has been bringing people into your office and closing the door, that closed door has become a trigger for everyone to start gossiping. With this new method, you address employees differently and uniquely to their specific preferences. No more office gossip, and the message gets across even more effectively.