Tip Tuesday: Coaching vs. Discipline - Are You Choosing the Right Approach?
Not every employee issue requires discipline. Knowing when to coach and when to take corrective action is essential to effective labor relations and strong contract administration. The right approach can help resolve issues early, strengthen workplace relationships, and reduce the risk of grievances.
Below are the key differences between coaching and discipline to help managers determine the most appropriate approach for addressing employee performance and behavior.
| Coaching |
Discipline |
- Helps employees understand expectations
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- Addresses misconduct or repeated violations
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- Reinforces accountability in accordance with your organization’s policies and applicable CBA
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- Correct mistakes before they become recurring problems
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- Progressive discipline, when used, results in the employee understanding what is expected of them
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- Builds rapport between the employee and supervisor
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- Correcting mistakes earns credibility with supervisors and managers
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- Reinforces the idea that correcting performance or behavior doesn’t always have to result in blaming the employee
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- Consistently applying policy is defensible
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- Timely and regular feedback early on prevents small issues from becoming major issues later
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- Allows leaders to hold employees to the same standards as other members of your team
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