Do You Have Too Many Rules?

In a world that is becoming increasingly unpredictable, rules and regulations have a tendency to keep things predictable. Yet some rules and regulations are obsolete. When rules don’t serve a purpose, they hinder the generation of new ideas and initiative. Once rules get into place, however, they’re very difficult to get rid of. Ever wonder why your team members don’t always utilize their thinking abilities? All too often, it’s because rules, regulations and constraints limit their potential. Many rules are outdated and serve little purpose except to keep procedures in place. This is not conducive to thinking differently.

There is an increase in authoritarianism when there are extreme formal structures. This does not allow people to “take risks.” If you are to have a culture that is creative, you will need to give team members freedom from harmful bureaucratic constraints.

This is not to say that rules and regulations don’t apply. Of course, they do! There has to be a fair amount of control and formal structure, especially when the organization is large. Procedures, processes and controls are important for the work to get done. They also give direction to the team when they are appropriate to the task. Discarding outmoded rules will help to gain a brand-new perspective. But a system of rules and regulations that drives an organization toward routinization and repetition will not lead to creativity and innovation.

List 3 things that you can do differently and then implement them.