I think we all should acknowledge that this does not work. Sword rattling and bloviating are wasted energy. I threatened my kids with violence for years to no avail. Granted, my kids were born with a vicious sense of humor and a go-for-the-jugular instinct. All my ravings were met with skepticism and giggles.
Me: If you poke your sister one more time, I’m gonna poke you into next week.
Kid: I’ll watch TV until you catch up. (Guffaws)
It was useless. Wasted energy. The more effective route was of course one of unabashed bribery.
Me: I’ll pay you 10 bucks if you just please stop talking for three minutes.
Kid: Make it 15. (Snickering)
Yes, you may wring your hands and murmur about the corrosive nature of corruption. But let’s talk results. Ball your fists and bully someone into a reluctant action may be a short-term fix but they will resent you and actively work to undermine you. At least I would. So why not try bribery?
A bottle of wine for instance.
Try this next time you need something done – approach the disinclined participant, outline the goal…and toss in a bottle of a delicious Cabernet franc to sweeten the deal. You get results, they earn your gratitude and an excellent pairing for that roast chicken tonight.
Everybody wins. No threats. No violence. Imagine that.