When I had young children, I would sometimes become a lazy parent. A common refrain was, “I’m going to count to three. You better have those toys picked up by the time I get to three.” 

I learned later from a Bible study that I had conditioned our kids to be unresponsive until absolutely necessary. Without immediate consequences, the offenses just continued to happen. 

In business, we sometimes do the same thing. Maybe we ask and ask employees to produce their reports timely or to proof their work before it gets emailed, but nothing changes. 

Proverbs 29:19 teaches, “Servants cannot be corrected by mere words; though they understand, they will not respond.”  

If you have employees who continually disobey, maybe it’s time to shift from criticism to consequences.