I spent yesterday chasing a white ball around an Arizona golf course. It was great fun and I even beat my older brother by four strokes. However, before we ever got started I was left wondering why so many people believe “the rules”, whichever rules they are, are designed for the other people.
We got to the course early, and could have started early, if some of the golfers paid any attention to the Golf Club’s rules. Two in particular were ignored from the start: move at a good pace so you don’t hold up other golfers and the 90 degree rule.
The 90 degree rules requests that carts be driven on the fairways and off at right angles. I saw carts heading in all directions and, based on the waist lines of most of the golfers, a little walk wouldn’t have hurt any of the offending folks.
Ignoring the “keep a good pace” rule meant that there were several groups of golfers waiting at many holes while one group took its sweet time. While in the Pro Shop I heard the pro take a cell phone call from a golfer on the course complaining about those in front of him. The pro had to send someone out to move the group along. The backup of golfers also meant the club ran out of carts for new golfers.
Now, is the ignoring of either of these rules earth-shaking? Hardly, but I’ve seen the same mentality in dozens of companies when I’ve consulted or facilitated training sessions. The rules are for you and not for me. After all, I’m special, more intelligent and when I break the rules it really doesn’t hurt anyone. Don’t you dare inflict the same insensitivity on me!
I know there are rules that don’t seem to make sense in many organizations. If you come across ones that seem ridiculous, find out why they’re still there and if they should be changed, work to change them. We all know that many rules are out-of-date, so change them. As to the rules that make sense, they’re designed to protect and serve us all, not just some folks. Safety Co-ordinators can point to dozens of situations each year where lives are lost because someone defied just “one little rule”.
As a leader, you are expected to lead the change and lead by example. Do both for your organization. Lead when the changes are necessary and lead by example in all other situations. What example are you setting?
Garth Roberts