3 ms·

Why is severity desirable? Or if it's not desirable, so what?

• sokoloff 3y ago
  Severity is desirable iff it's justified. I wouldn't ever sign off on a policy that says "you'll be fired for a single mistake" (that would be a severity of punishment out of proportion to the risk/underperformance). But a policy that never provided for the possibility of termination (insufficient maximum severity) is also not desirable.
  • wolverine876 3y ago
    > Severity is desirable iff it's justified. It's necessary if it's (necessary & efficient & justified); it's never desirable IMHO. Doing severe things because they are justified is just acting out on a desire or drive - internal anger - but now we can 'justify' the target and feel ok about it. Lynch mobs think they are justified.
    • sokoloff 3y ago
      Designing severe things to be included as part of a process is a desirable property of that system if the severe thing is sometimes required. No one is designing a formal system that includes lunch mobs. But a formal system of repercussions for employee behavior that does not include firing is an incomplete system. It’s not that firing itself is ever desirable, but rather that its inclusion in a disciplinary progression is desirable.