Week 2: We Avoid Rules
Richard Branson has a quote floating around the repost circle on social media: "There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” I responded, “Well, that is just the Golden Rule, and if it were that simple, and people could treat each other like that, the world would have already fixed itself, and company culture wouldn’t be an issue.” Responding like that is cynical, but I have considered this quote over the last few weeks.
WE AVOID RULES
The first employee I hired was skeptical about how this would work. So was I. I grew up in a household with strict rules, went to a college with even more stringent rules, joined the Marine Corps, where rules aren’t ever questioned, and then jumped into business, where rules were everywhere. So, why would I avoid rules in creating my business and the culture to go with it? Rules aren’t harmful to business culture, but an exaggerated number are, and I have experienced that firsthand. I once worked for a company with an elaborate flow chart for approving employee PTO requests that took all of my brain to complete. Or we all know this one: every time someone made a mistake or failed a new rule or policy was created. As companies grow and people are added, more policies begin to take hold.
These are the only three rules we have at GMG, which makes for a short employee handbook.
- Harassment or discrimination will earn you a fresh hard kick, by me personally, out the door.
- We manage private and sensitive information for our clients. Don’t share it with anyone.
- We do not reward contracts or bids based on anything other than you being good at what you do. Please don’t call me up for breakfast at Waffle House (by far my favorite spot in the world) because you have a pending contract waiting to be signed.
It came down to the thought that I wanted a group of people who worked with me and weren’t stuffed inside an employee handbook that controlled their every move. First Principle Thinking. First principle thinking is the mindset that foundational beliefs or first principles underpin everything you do. Instead of unthinkingly following directions or sticking to a process, a first principle thinker will constantly ask, “What is best for the company, and could we do it this other way instead?”
You won’t attract first principal thinkers if you have too many rules. You’ll attract people who don’t need to think for themselves because you have done all the thinking for them.
Examples of rules we avoid at GMG.
- GMG’s policy for expensing, entertainment, gifts, and travel: Act in GMG’s best interest.
- I nixed the PTO Mouse Trap Board Game maze. Take the number of days off each year that you need, and we do not track them.
- Our maternity leave policy is to return to work when you and your baby are good to go.
- Take from GMG only when it is inefficient not to take, and inconsequential. (i.e. printing personal documents at work, personal phone calls or personal meetings/appointments during working hours, using a stamp to mail a personal letter.)
- We don’t have a dress code in place, allowing my hunting camo to occasionally make an appearance.
- We don’t have guidelines on appropriate internet usage at work.
Failure in your workplace is inevitable. I have had employees fail, and that has cost me dollars. A new fear was unlocked for me as I started my business. There are fewer rules, fewer procedures in place, more outside-the-box thinking, high speed/low drag, and boom. I am writing a check. That is the worst-case scenario, but my mind has gone there.
So, back to Richard Branson. A workplace culture saturated with rules would be my failure to lead and address the internal shortcomings of my heart and mind. I do not want to grow in an area and TRUST the people who work for me, so I’ll put parameters in place, hoping I don’t have to worry and my employees don’t have to go anywhere but where I tell them to go. It sounds wonderful, right, when no one loves the process, but it feels better than chaos? Some of you work in that company culture and don’t even recognize it. Think about where you could go if your mind and ability were unlocked. And yes, this is possible in large, publicly traded companies. There are hundreds of them doing this and reaping the benefits of a team with more freedom than they have ever experienced.
I don’t want to be micromanaged, so why would I want that for my employees? Treat others as you would want to be treated. Thank you, Richard Branson and Jesus, for making this simple. Responsible people thrive on freedom and are worthy of freedom. Don’t be afraid to give it to them.