Romanian Military Thinking

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Romanian Military Thinking ~ 4/2007
motivational tools for any subordinate.
Nevertheless, practically, such a task is
hard to achieve. However, there are some
general aspects that are indispensable
for a good use of these incentives. The first
one is represented by the fact that reward,
either material or psychological, even if
it has a high motivating value, it cannot be
used anytime and anyhow; it should be
a motivational instrument only for effective
and real achievements and not for the
aspects that are only false performance
indicators, such as extra hours spent at
work. Another important aspect that should
be taken into account is represented by the
fact that penalties are poorer than rewards,
from the motivational point of view,
for both the guilty person and the rest
of the personnel, because almost all people
refuse to regard a severe punishment
as a fair one, considering it bad luck,
worthy of compassion. Besides, the great
number of penalties or admonishments
addressed to subordinates could lead
to them either become insensible or make
common cause with the others, against
the person who establishes the sanctions,
and moreover, a penalty perceived as much
more severe in comparison with the deeds
tends to turn the punished person into
a martyr, drawing one’s compassion and
sympathy, and, subsequently, the refusal
to collaborate with the leader.
To conclude, we can consider leadership
as a relation, and, as any relation, when
it is affected by dysfunctions, when
“something goes wrong”, both parts have
to evaluate their own behaviour and adjust
it accordingly. Otherwise, these
dysfunctions, however unessential they
might seem, could generate any time
a crisis, which could affect not only both
the “actors” involved in this relationship
but also the organisation itself.