When faced with a particularly difficult situation it is all too easy for your team to see a way out that flies in the face of the standards previously set. It may be wholly appropriate to ‘think outside the box’ but if their solution is simply to break the rules previously carefully crafted and implemented, often with very good reason, you need to proceed with caution!
It is easy to say ‘rules are meant to be broken’ or ‘this is bigger that the rules’, but once the principle of adhering to and respecting the rules has been abolished – no-one really knows where they stand.
Here is the approach I take:
1) Make very few rules, absolutes which are non-negotiable, like working safely. The rest of the structure you create is less rigid and ultimately more flexible or malleable. This provides the creation of real personal freedom, individual judgement and the ability to be creative. People love the freedom to choose the right path at the right time for them.
2) Always uphold your absolute rules. Never ever allow them to be broken. Ensure everyone in your team understands the need to respect these rules, and why they are in place. Make them really clear – there is a real need for everyone to know where the line is drawn; what is acceptable and what is not.
3) Celebrate the freedom everyone has within this framework. Empower and let loose!
4) Re-visit, re-assess and realign your rules only when the situation demands it. If you establish new rules, take time to communicate and explain them so that everyone understands the reason why they exist.
Having grey areas is fine – but avoid grey parameters at all costs.
Finally, never have one rule for your team, and one for yourself. You will lose credibility if you unilaterally break their rules, even if you don’t believe they should apply to you. They do!
