Every morning I go on a walk around our neighbourhood and the weekly bin day often throws up some interesting sights. Such a minor change to the landscape, but it’s a weekly event that’s always fraught.
Often because people break the rules. But nothing wrong with these rules being broken, is there? Of course not. The bins get emptied (or they don’t) and there’s no victim here.
I’ve often been restrained in the workplace because of rules and unwritten laws. More recently my impulses have taken over and I’ve started break these rules. I haven’t been breaking laws, or compliance expectations, just rules. And these rules are often unwritten.
I remember one day my old boss telling me that the MD doesn’t like beards. But after an extended leave period I returned to the office with a beard. Pretty soon I ran in to the MD who quickly acknowledged the beard and gave it a big thumbs up. Not sure what my boss was thinking. It was probably a refection of his own preferences.
No damage done and no victim in sight.
I’m keen to break the rules whenever I engage with others and not be cowered by what others think are the expectations. This has worked for me. I do make sure it is a positive break. Not a negative counter-productive action. And the rule breaking usually means a change in atmosphere. It can mean a risk to create a level of disruption – you never know who will react what way – but that’s what growth is all about. Trying new things.
Without breaking the rules, there is often no growth.
Household rubbish bin used for green waste