Discipline is necessary for success, in any field of work. Talent is wasted without discipline. There is a quote that goes ” discipline will take you to places where motivation cannot”.
Besides helping talent to excel, discipline also helps people to work together. In group situations like work, it is important for discipline to prevail for smooth co-operation between people. If you are a disciplined person, a lot of this chapter will be second nature to you anyway. You may however need a refresher here and there.
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Punctuality
In the corporate sector, punctuality is generally important. Yes, we all have family obligations, traffic, fatigue, etc, but punctuality is still important, barring for the odd occasion where there was an excuse made up-front. In most companies where I have worked, it is best to come in early. People who are early birds are often viewed in a favorable light than those who come in late, even when they do less work. Sometimes people come in late and stay late, but the early birds take the glory.
Dependability
You will need to be dependable, and finish tasks that you start. Finish tasks as well and as promptly as you possibly can. You also need to respond to emails as promptly as is possible.
Respect for Authority
It is important to have a healthy respect for authority. Authority has a role to play in the smooth running of any workplace. People in authority do not know everything, and they certainly are not perfect. Yet for the sake of discipline and smooth working conditions – we need to let the boss be the boss. This means not going over the immediate manager’s head to discuss issues with their superior. This also means initially biting your tongue and giving things a second opportunity to happen, before reacting. You may not agree with the way your boss/manager does things. Unless it is a matter of utmost importance, you as the subordinate need to follow their instructions. Utmost importance would be something that breaks key social or religious principles.
Of course, if a manager consistently acts inappropriately, e.g. abusive – it will be a good idea to raise your voice to their superior and/or initiate a grievance procedure. It is important to familiarise yourself with the HR and grievance procedures in your organization, for situations such as these. It takes discipline to hold yourself back when you would rather react, and it also takes discipline to go through the HR processes and follow them correctly when necessary.
Entitlement
In this age of woke-ness, employees are well-informed and know their rights. This is a very good thing, considering our troubled past. The downside of this positive development is entitlement. People now feel entitled to consistently good treatment from those around them. Of course, life is not that simple, there are always challenges. If the person in power is constantly walking on eggshells because they are avoiding confrontation with the woke gang – then the focus shifts from other important business objectives. Often, also, the person in charge has to make unpopular decisions as part of their job. They should not have to deal with insolence from employees who feel entitled to their views. Someone still needs to be in charge.
Social Media Discipline
Still, on the topic of woke-ness, social media discipline is worth mentioning. Everyone is free to write what they like. You do, however, need consider that what you like may be controversial and therefore detrimental to your image. Employers nowadays check social media accounts of prospective employees before hiring them. If your brand on social media is too controversial for your prospective employer, you may lose out on the job. Even after getting the job, a careless post on social media can very well get you terminated.
Open Plan Office
In group situations like work, it is important for discipline to prevail, for smooth co-operation between people. For example, most workplaces nowadays have open-plan offices. The chances of disrupting the next person are that much higher than if people had enclosed offices. We all need to observe some discipline around rising our voices in conversation. You might be disturbing someone on an important call. We would also need to observe some discipline around dress code. The person sitting across the table from you may be unsettled by your dress code, should it be too extreme.
Boring work
Finally, it happens, fairly often, that the work you are assigned is very boring. This happens most often when you are new or junior – although it can also happen when you are not. Sometimes the tasks you are assigned are dead-end assignments that do not add any value to your career path. If you do not have mentors/sponsors to protect and guide your career progression, this will happen more.
Just because your work is boring does not mean you can resign. We all have bills to pay. While you are trying to improve your circumstances and/or looking for another job – you still have to deliver as per your job description. It will take discipline to complete boring, mundane tasks on the daily. It will also take discipline to put in the work in a dead-end job that you do not enjoy and that has no growth prospects. If you are no disciplined, you may shirk your responsibilities, get fired, or leave under a cloud. One day, after you found a better job, your past may haunt you. The past of being fired or leaving under a cloud. Someone in your new position may decide to ask around for referrals. Your burned bridges may ruin your good name and food efforts in a subsequent job.