I got the above title from the hilarious video above. It shows a man and a woman who both got stuck on an escalator. They were shouting for help rather than climbing a few steps to get off the escalator. The video epitomizes what happens in a number of companies today, where many employees are so fixated on just following the rules that they forget to use their “common sense” in making decisions.
In the video, it is assumed that the two people decided not to get off the broken escalator because they were just following the rule of not stepping off a broken escalator (maybe based on company policy)
Rules are necessary to bring structure and order to societies, companies, organizations, and families. For instance, we expect drivers to stop at a zebra crossing and we want highly detailed policies and procedures to assist us in carrying out complicated tasks.
However, a company’s rate of improvement is impeded when employees perceive the rules as excessive. By their very nature, excessive or unwarranted rules tell employees not to change things. Excessive rules-based culture creates psychological barriers, a reason to “not fully commit to the organization’s improvement goals.” This results in a phenomenon called “learned helpless”. Learned helplessness represents the conditioning of humans or other species to maintain the status quo even when it’s not in their or others’ best interest.
An overly rules based culture make employees behave like robots
A rules-based management style can lead to unnecessary or exhaustive policies, procedures, creating an environment where it is difficult to truly empower employees.
A values based culture on the other hand allows employees to showcase their God-given talents and bring their best selves to work
In values-based company cultures, the company is designed around what it truly values: Truth, consumer focus, integrity , honesty, service to others transparency, fairness, teamwork, humility, and so on. Values speak to the core of what makes us human . Values based thinking empowers employees to truly act in the interest of the Company
Employees that operate in a rules based environment focus on can and can’t while employees operating a values based environment focus more on should or shouldn’t . For example , you can discuss a case of using your company credit card to pay for an employee in need of urgent medical attention in terms of “Can I pay with my credit card because it is not in line with policy on use of credit cards “?- but if we are talking in terms of values- “Given our values on caring for our employees, should I use my credit card to save an employees life.
According to Dov Seidman, thinking in and speaking the language of values—the language of should and shouldn’t instead of the language of can and can’t—opens up a wide spectrum of possible thought, a spectrum that encompasses the full colors of human behavior as opposed to the black-and-white responses of rules.
The transition from an overly rules-based culture to a values-based culture is difficult but achievable. It involves a fundamental change in language from the binary world of can and can’t to one of should and shouldn’t that promotes creativity and the use of our common sense. So, lets encourage our employees to stop standing on broken escalators and take the bold step of using values to make better decisions.