Discipline and Consistency: A Sound Leadership Approach

“Mood-swing management” is terminology I have recently coined after working across several organizations and industries.  As many HR professionals take on leadership roles, both strategy and business acumen will become overarchingly important in all aspects of their career plan and career growth. Discipline and consistent approaches to leadership and navigation, too, are necessary to be successful and effective in every organization: 

• Eliminate mood-swing management. We all have bad days; many of our peers, leaders and co-workers are dealing with issues in and outside of the workplace that many of us will never know about directly. However, that does not discount the fact that leaders have an obligation to be consistent in their approach to leadership and management styles. We cannot make employment or organizational decisions based on a mood swing.
• Practice effective communication. Early in my career, I implemented the communication approach that Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club, used: Follow up on everything for the day, even if it’s just an acknowledgment that you have received the message and are working on the issue. A consistent approach to communication, and closing communication loops, as Walton does, will build trust throughout the organization and inspire a great workplace culture.
• Ensure fair organizational justice. Do we have a fair and consistent approach to performance reviews, policies and procedures, and progressive discipline? Do we have an employee handbook or policy manual that is easy to understand? Most importantly, do employees interpret our processes as fair? There is always an opportunity to review and modify internal policies and processes, as well as to train leaders.
• Enforce a consistent psychological contract. Employers say they guarantee a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, along with providing consistency in the workplace and fairness in policies, reviews and processes. How do we know if any of this is accurate? Are we assuming? The psychological workplace contract is a critical component for any organization. Ask for feedback and look for opportunities to evolve the organization.

To be effective in any leadership position, you have to be disciplined and consistent. One cannot adopt a flavor-of-the-month approach to organizational leadership or change. Every leader needs to be disciplined and consistent in their approaches to practicing good communication, ensuring organizational justice, and upholding the organization’s psychological contract with its employees. We should embrace opportunities to measure and improve on these guiding principles to ensure a disciplined and consistent approach.

Matthew W. Burr, SHRM-SCP, is owner of Burr Consulting LLC in Elmira, N.Y., and McKinney, Texas; a co-owner of Labor Love LLC; an HR consultant; an adjunct professor; and an on-call mediator and fact finder for the New York State Public Employment Relations Board.