In traditional companies, following all the rules and the corporate agenda is a path to success. When we join those companies, we are often taught this principle. Compliance with established procedures is seen as a hallmark of a reliable and trustworthy employee. In strict, corporate, and demanding environments, following your company’s rules may not always lead to promotion. Adhering to procedures and playbooks can sometimes hinder advancement. Achieving promotion in such environments may require different strategies. Those who get promoted often challenge the environment. They work to make it different and more flexible. This approach makes it acceptable to the people’s changing mindset and expectations. Those who rise to the top show the ability to discern. They know when to deviate from the scripts offered by corporate playbooks and styles.
And this is not to suggest reckless behavior. It is more of a strategically planned, rules-bending approach that ensures, with finesse, how you can climb the corporate ladder.
LET US START WITH THE MYTH OF THE PERFECT COMPLIANCE
Stepping too far outside the established lines and rules has led to the termination of employees. The prevailing belief has been that violating or deviating from established regulations may have severe consequences for you. With the mindset established and promoted during the years, this is not surprising. Companies often promote values and behaviors that convey trust and support. They also strive to develop operational excellence. This is done by implementing universal rules that apply to everyone, based on a limited number of examples and experiences. However, this sometimes rigid approach can stifle creativity and limit the ability to address more significant business challenges.
Your company might have a bureaucratic, slow process. It promotes values like Innovation. In this case, you might see change as beneficial. Finding a way to elevate that process can actually be a positive thing. However, if there is a rigid mindset and the structure is slow-moving, you may be penalized. A conservative mindset may hinder your proactive approach.
This example is similar in many companies across various industries. But to change the status quo, you need more than just creativity and energy. The best way to do it is to learn the art of elegant rule-bending.
THE ART OF ELEGANT RULE-BENDING:
What is essential to understand here is that success with this strategy is not measured by how you break the rules. Instead, it is about how you have elegantly learned to get around them. You do this without creating many discrepancies and without fully understanding the potential risks and rewards. To navigate this path, you will need to build an agenda to follow. Building that agenda is not only helpful, but also makes the transition less painful and threatening as a process. To do it successfully, you will need to understand several details, including the potential risks and rewards of your actions. There’s the risk of backlash from those who are more traditional or resistant to change. Still, the potential reward is the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership and innovation, which can lead to career advancement and personal growth.
DOING SOME WORK TO IDENTIFY THE “WHY” BEHIND THE RULE:
Starting to interfere or change something without even understanding it leads to a direct failure and unwanted stress. Everyone who wants to change something needs to first invest time in understanding why this rule has been created. Many reasons can lie behind a rule. It can be implemented to ensure security, elevate quality, and foster positivity through a set of actions. A rule may be just a historical element. It was created in its time and fulfilled its purpose, but it was left in the system. This creates a discrepancy with an inadequate impact on behaviors, values, and expectations. Skipping this critical analysis step is crucial. This step prevents you from making a plan with missteps. Such mistakes can actually harm your business, rather than helping it grow and develop.
SHIFT MINDSET AND FOCUS FROM DISOBEDIENCE TO CREATING VALUE:
Defying authority is the wrong strategy. It is important here to focus on adding higher value. The adverse action is often seen in phrases that indicate you disobeyed the rules. The more innovative way to act here is to reframe these actions positively. Say you broke the rules because you found a better way to do the same things. This led to better, more impactful results. This is not about disobedience, but about creating value. It’s not about breaking rules for the sake of it, but about finding ways to improve processes and outcomes. How does this look like an example? See for yourself. Read the following: “I realized that changing the process from sending information to clients in paper format to electronic format decreases the delivery time. This change enhances the process.” Sending it via e-mail ensures constant confirmation when the person opens the e-mail. It also leads to faster actions after that step.” See how it looks. It states, “I broke the current rule against sending documents on paper. I did this because I found a more innovative and effective way to do so.” And what businesses value most is not following the rules but getting results with fewer resources invested. The current action sets the ground for a discussion. This discussion is not about punishment. It focuses on how this action of yours can be turned into a strategic advantage.
But this doesn’t happen overnight. To bend the rules even elegantly, you should first be recognized and respected. It is easier for those who are well-known to bend the rules. It’s harder for lone rebels who came from nowhere to shake the foundations of what has already been established. Below, I have outlined three steps that may help you become a successful rules disruptor in your organization or environment.
START WITH BUILDING THE REPUTATION OF A PROBLEM SOLVER:
You break rules and change situations when you have gained respect and built trust with those around you. After all, bending the rules means change for you and for them. And ask yourself, “Who are others going to trust – the expert or the outsider with interesting ideas?” Focus on building a reputation. Show that you deliver results. Being seen as a consistent person who meets and even exceeds expectations helps a lot. A strong track record of completed projects establishes your effectiveness. A history of sustainable results reassures leadership and management. This shows that your proposed unconventional methods are not reckless ideas. Instead, they are well thought out and well planned. When properly supported, they are meant to succeed. With such established credibility, you have the opportunity to challenge the status quo and introduce something new and promising.
SEEK FORGIVENESS, NOT PERMISSION (But Be Prepared):
Shifting your mindset and setting the ground with trust is a good start. However, the fundamental transformation begins when you move your perspective and manage your ego effectively. In the fast-paced world we operate in, some opportunities are time-limited. They are actual for a specific period of time and then just become irrelevant. This is why acting promptly is crucial for achieving success. Sometimes, with the limited life of opportunities, you may need to act first. It’s important to explain later. Building a business case and gaining approval and support is the most beneficial action you can take. But this also requires a shift in mindset and maturity. You may need to prepare yourself to seek forgiveness for your actions. But when preparing to ask for forgiveness, you should have a solid business case that explains what led to your actions. Present data clearly. Explain why you acted as you did. Make sure you take full responsibility for your actions. These steps are crucial to receiving forgiveness for what you have done. Be mindful that a well-prepared explanation, presented with confidence, can turn a potentially damaging discussion into a positive one.
STRATEGICALLY COMMUNICATED ABOVE YOU:
Breaking the rules to achieve something better and even greater shouldn’t be kept quiet. To boost your rule-breaking, you need to openly and directly communicate it upward and downward. The downstream may not be able to affect what you have done. However, the upstream might provide a different response when communicated with on time. The winning approach here is to present the rule-breaking as an opportunity. Formalize the change you made by backing it up with data. Formulate the explanation professionally. Continuously seek opportunities to engage in direct communication. This will help you be seen as a potential support for the company’s long-term agenda.
AS A FINAL:
You don’t need to feel like bending the rules like an anarchist. The mindset for this action should shift toward agility. Seeing beyond written rules and aligning them with long-term organizational goals can lead to remarkable success. By understanding the “Why” behind the rules, you can build your image as an expert. Solving challenges and delivering results by creating opportunities can turn rule-bending into a professional and career opportunity. This, in turn, creates a positive environment for others in the organization. Rule-bending has two sides. One side says that it is a threat to the status quo. The other side allows for creating something better. Are you a quiet follower of the rules in the organization? Or are you a rebellious game changer? Do you know how to bend the rules to create development opportunities for yourself and growth perspectives for the organization as a whole?
The Human place - a path from you to yourself 