Dumb Rules Are Frustrating Your Best People

Treat employees the way you want them to behave — like adults

Treat employees the way you want them to behave — like adults

Source: Adobe Stock

“I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” — Lou Holtz

Imagine having to read a 10-page manual before every meeting.

That’s what used to happen at GM. Its workplace dress code was complex, copious, and lengthy — 10-page long to be exact.

Until GM’s new head of HR shrank the restrictive dress code to two words:

“Dress appropriately.”

We live in a complex, dynamic world — rules should make things simpler, not more complicated.

Unfortunately, bureaucracy is growing, not shrinking. That’s what Harvard Business Review uncovered after surveying 7,000 readers.

Organizations have become more rule-bound and conservative in the past few years, according to most respondents. Especially in the areas that create customer value — like innovation or customer service.

Dumb rules stifle innovation, frustrate people, and slow your organization down.

Here are five ways to enable …