Workplace Rules To Break In 2018 To Create Workspaces Where We Feel Safe

Throughout my career, I’ve been called the “Chief Troublemaker” as I’ve never been afraid to break the rules that did not make sense. After all, the old rules were written more than 100 years ago by men and for men because women weren’t in the workforce, and they’re no longer working in today’s world. So, let’s break some rules.

Today, we’ve never been at a more important time to rewrite the rules. We know it with the #metoo movement and women standing up and standing together against the abuse of power. We’ve experienced the power of the pack when millions of women joined together for the Women’s March around the world to raise awareness for equality and create solutions for change. We realized our power when “nevertheless, she persisted” became a rallying cry to address “manterruptors” after Elizabeth Warren ignored interruptions from male colleagues on the senate floor and launched a social media frenzy.

As we say, a woman alone has power, but collectively we have impact. A sea change is happening, and it’s up to each of us to use our voice. It can be scary to break the rules, but change is much easier when we do it together. Here are some traditional workplace rules that I suggest we break in 2018 to create workplaces where we all feel like we belong.

The Old Rule: Get Past Bad Behavior

Why You Should Break It: Call things out when you see them and don’t be afraid to stand up and stand out. To squash bad behavior, such as sexual harassment or interrupting women in meetings, we need to make people aware when it happens. Create a culture of care to help pave the way for having uncomfortable conversations that lead to transformation.

The Old Rule: Try To Fit Into The Old Boys' Club

Why You Should Break It: Diversity is what makes the world go around. Don’t try to fit in, try to stand out. One of my favorite quotes is from Oscar Wilde, who said, “Be yourself…everyone else is already taken.” We need women to act like themselves because the theory of critical mass shows that when women make up 20 to 30% of an organization, the power dynamics shift and transformation happens. You being you will help create change.

The Old Rule: There Is No Room For Emotion in the Workplace

Why You Should Break It: Paying attention to how people feel at work will go a long way in creating cultures of care and belonging. Building environments where people are comfortable speaking up is essential to employee retention because they will feel like they’re being heard and, therefore, be happier and more productive.

The Old Rule: You Need to Be Competitive to Get Ahead

Why You Should Break It: It’s been well-known that collaboration leads to business success. We’ve been trained to be competitive with each other, but instead we should collaborate with each other and create workplaces where we’re encouraged to bring our unique visions and relationship-building skills to the table.

The Old Rule: Don’t Make It Personal

Why You Should Break It: Rather than hiding our stories, tell them. By sharing the good, the bad and the ugly, you’ll free others to share as well and help to create an open space where people are comfortable bringing their whole selves to work. In return, they’ll more freely share their unique perspectives, which leads to more creative solutions.

The Old Rule: You're Not As Qualified As A Man

Why You Should Break It: Women are as qualified, we just bring a different dimension, in general, to the workplace. Traditionally feminine qualities, such as empathy, nurturing and collaboration, are what’s needed for business success today. Why are we still getting paid 79 cents for every dollar a man makes? Own your strengths, use your voice and amplify others.

Change will happen only if we rewrite the rules that no longer make sense. What workplace rules do you want to break in 2018? I'd love to hear from you: Please share in the comments below. Let’s inspire each other to create the new rules of work, together.

Article originally published in my Forbes column. You can also keep up to date on industry trends on equality by following me on Twitter or visiting TheFemaleQuotient.com.