#PositiveVibes - The Rules

By John R. Nocero and Sandy Abell

 John: I’ve repeated the following phrase in my head over and over during the last week: “When you do the little things, the big things take care of themselves.” What I am really telling them is follow the rules. I don’t say this to be a rigid conformist. In fact, those that know me will say, quite the contrary. I may protest, even break, those rules that don’t make sense. But the majority of rules that exist are there to help others. If I follow them, it means I only have to do something once. I continually encourage them to follow the rules because it helps us. Rules help me learn and get along with everyone I work with. Policies, procedures and the code of conduct define the culture at my workplace. They help us. These rules balance me professionally and personally. I may not have the policy memorized, but I know where to go to look it up. I don’t have to think. I save that for the complex problems that require real collaboration.

 I’ve always liked rules. I grew up in a military family, where “Yes, sir” and “No ma’am” are expected to be said as a sign of respect. I still say them to this day. As a child, my grandmother would tell me that children who don’t follow the rules are the children in trouble. Who wants to be in trouble? My coaches’ refrain was always to play with my jersey tucked in. If I looked sharp, I played sharp. Everyone knows that every girl’s crazy about a sharply dressed man. Who doesn’t want to play sharp too? I drive slowly. I stop at stop signs. I give exact change. I wait in line at the concession stand. I liked rules so much that I told my wife to leave me a list of things to do when she goes to the gym on the weekends. Okay. Not that much.

 At its core, compliance is a systematic process within an ethical business culture that promotes self-monitoring, detection, and resolution of problems. Imagine how difficult it is when you have to think about the process too, while trying to follow it? I have problems when I don’t follow the rules. So do you. Imagine us on the same team? Now who else has problems? The team. Just because you and I don’t follow the rules. Companies that teach their members to follow the rules, how to act in a socially responsible manner, and to respect each other consistently, do better and last longer. All of us are searching for ways to be more productive, aren’t we? 

 First rule – follow the rules, right Sandy?

Sandy: Mostly I agree with you John. Rules are usually helpful. They give us structure, order, and make it so we can all function well together. I’m often delighted watching how traffic works (I know, that sounds silly). At a four-way stop, the rule says that the person who gets there first can go first. If you all get there at the same time, the person on the right has the right-of-way. It’s a little thing, but when everyone knows the rules and plays by them it makes things flow smoothly.

 As you said, it’s the same with a team, or any group of people. Even a family needs to have and use rules. Who cooks the meals, who cleans up, who makes sure there is food in the fridge, and who makes the money to purchase it? These are all rules that let us know how things function and ensure that they work well.

However, I believe it’s also important to note what the rule is and make sure it’s best for all concerned. Many dictatorships have rules that are used to keep people controlled in negative ways. Often a group of people will get together and create rules that exclude or discriminate against others.

 So, I believe that we each have to evaluate the rules to make sure they work with our values. If they do, then definitely follow them. If they are harmful, maybe it’s time to create new rules.