Rules can change

In a recent interview, Lars Ulrich, one of the founder members of Metallica spoke of how it was tougher to be a rock band as the members aged and matured. When they were young he said, they all wore the same clothes, drank the same booze and wanted the same things. As they have aged, their priorities too have changed.

Expecting someone to live like they're 21 when they're 51 is futile. How often have you heard someone say 'this is just the way it is done around here', without giving much thought to who formed that rule in the first place.

'We just work late. That's how it is around here. Don't ask me why.'

'We push everything to the 11th hour. Well, that's the culture here.'

'We just give more options to the client otherwise we may lose the business.'

These aren't a part of the company policy but they are unwritten rules, the way things work in a certain place. If you follow them, even if you don't believe in them, you have better chances at advancing.

When someone new comes in and realises that something is wrong, they have two options:

a. Fight tooth and nail to change the system

b. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

If an organisation or a person has got used to doing things in a certain way and that method no longer serves a purpose, it's very frustrating for someone who can see that it isn't working but is helpless to do anything about it.

If it has worked in the past but doesn't have too many takers now, it isn't a rule worth following. Breaking the rules in such places may lead to censure as you are then viewed as an outsider and not 'one of them.' This is the situation that many professionals are stuck in - they know that something isn't right but don't have the power to do anything about it.

Setting rules and following them blindly are easy to do. It isn't a very valuable skill.

Recognizing when a rule doesn't serve a purpose anymore and taking steps to change it is a better skill to hone.