Company Rules and the Employee

Rules and processes are put in place to create order and efficiency:
• Traffic laws are created to prevent chaos and accidents on roadways.
• Schools have rules to keep students safe and create an ordered environment where learning can take place.
• Parents make rules to keep their households running smoothly and to teach their children how to be good citizens.

However, some processes could be improved when rules are bent or broken. Businesses should watch for employees who are willing to break rules in order to help the company. Those employees, if encouraged rather than punished for bending the rules, might help the company achieve new levels of efficiency and customer service.

Look for these traits in employees to find those people who might increase growth or efficiency in a business by questioning, bending, and even breaking company rules:

Passionate. Employees who believe in the product they are selling and have faith in the company’s mission will look for ways to provide the best possible customer service to clients. Passionate employees are also more likely to give honest feedback that can help a company spot weaknesses in its processes and improve operations or customer service.

Hardworking. These employees make the most of their time at work. They are willing to put in extra hours when necessary to get the job done, though they need not be workaholics. Diligent employees usually know the ins-and-outs of the business really well so they have good insights about which rules work and which don’t.

Outspoken. Sometimes rule breakers and innovators are more difficult to work with than the average employee. Their desire to see the company prosper is personal to them, so they see the organization’s successes or failures as an extension of their own successes and failures. Thus, they may respond to these ups and downs in a more personal way than other employees. However, this also means they are deeply psychologically committed to making the company the best it can be.

Courage. Employees who are willing to break rules and speak out about how processes might be improved must, out of necessity, have the courage to speak up. It is much easier, and more common, for employees to follow the rules and not rock the boat than it is to stick their neck out and try to make changes.

Most employees are happy to follow management’s rules and do a good job within the structures the company has implemented. And some employees will break the rules for the sake of breaking them, much to the detriment of the company. But companies would be wise to keep their eyes peeled and their minds open for the subset of employees who have the passion and courage to try and improve their organization’s performance, even if it means bending or breaking a few rules.