Make Your Own Rules

FountainBlue’s September 8 When She Speaks event was on the topic of Make Your Own Rules. This month’s panelists were full of spunk, confidence, creativity and inspiration. They had practical ideas which delivered results, great things to consider while toeing the line and while breaking the rules. Although they varied in terms of background, education, upbringing, perspectives and even gender (!), they had many things in common.

• They have built their reputation and their credibility so that they are well positioned to facilitate change.
• They are respectfully confident and know how to engage all the leaders and stakeholders to make shifts small and radical to address the long-term and short term needs of the company.
• They break rules because they know that it’s core to innovative and transformational thinking, the heart of business success.
• They are passionate and empowering communicators who made others want to work with others, to make a stand for the greater good.
• They know themselves and keep choosing positive, proactive learning environments and experiences – so that they can better perform, better support those around them.
• They are open-minded, curious and innovative by nature, and embrace opportunities to expand their perspectives and opportunities.

Below is a compilation of their advice for others who want to make their own rules.

Know yourself. Be centered. Stretch yourself.

• Trust yourself, your judgement, your gut.
  
• Surround yourself with those who can keep you centered and strong and reaching for stars. People who will help you keep changing and growing and breaking and bending rules, even when it gets uncomfortable.
• Know your own unconscious biases. 
• If you’re not happy, do something to change the circumstances. Consider getting more education, following a different discipline or role or company or industry.

Be strategic.

• Keep an eye on the big picture, while also knowing how the individual pieces fit under the overarching vision. With this perspective, you can help ensure the broader view fits the market and customer needs, and that the tasks, projects and technologies are in alignment with that vision.
• Decide on what’s important to change and whether it’s the right time to change it.
• Know the circumstances around the rules, and choose to strategically choose conform, acquiesce, resist or transform based on your own moral compass.
• Evaluate your actions individually, rather than scripting responses based on the ‘rules’ and circumstances. 
• Be willing to lose a battle so that you can win the war.
• Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
• Look for opportunities to innovate collaboratively.
• Understand the mentality, the thinking, the rationale for all new strategies and directions. And get on board if you can, or bring up objections respectfully, making a stand for principles, for customers, for staff, for products. But when the decision is made, fall in line so that all can roll forward together.
• Know the consequences before you break a rule. Be willing to live with them.
• Learn from the risks you’ve taken yourself and encourage risk-taking in others. 

It’s about the people.

• Be with the people, projects, processes and team who will help you stay productive and optimistic and positive.
• Be curious about people who are not like you, as their perspectives are also valid.
• Be around the people and culture who believe in you. And then BE the biggest, best YOU possible. 
• Build momentum, allies, partnerships behind a new direction, reversing a rule you’d like to break.
• Invite the ideas and participation of all people, especially if they are not inclined to actively participate.

When others are driving change

 

• Agree and commit or disagree and commit or offer another solution.
• Do not stay silent, or do nothing – you become part of the problem

 

Resources:

• Consider Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development when evaluating whether to break the rules: 
  • hedonism – because you can get away with it (probably not best for long-term goals or relationships)
  • pleasing – because you would perceived as the good girl/boy (following rules is generally good, especially if it’s adaptive for your safety . . . but don’t blindly follow rules)
  • intentions – consider the intentions behind the actions
  • law & order – because you would perceived as the good girl/boy (following rules is generally good, especially if it’s adaptive for your safety . . . but don’t blindly follow rules)
  • majority rules – rules can be changed by majority vote (if you don’t like a rule, change the rules within the system)
  • moral mandate – do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, regardless of the above 

I’ll conclude by saying that understanding deeply what rule needs to change and why is only a beginning. A leader must also communicate with all stakeholders to get them on board with the new direction. With these communications, the leader is metaphorically tossing a stone in a pond and embracing the ripple effect, spreading rule-breaking change to all, for all.

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Please join us in thanking our panelists for FountainBlue’s September 8 When She Speaks event, on the topic of Make Your Own Rules and our gracious hosts at Texas Instruments! 

• Facilitator Linda Holroyd, CEO, FountainBlue, Chief Revenue Officer, 888 Steps 
• Panelist Alex Gorjanc, Area Director, Texas Instruments
• Panelist Daniela Busse, Director, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Citi Ventures
• Panelist Rajni Dharmarajan, Product Line General Manager, Texas Instruments

• Panelist Suruchi Kaushik Sharma, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, Flex

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