Every system has ‘rules’. Sometimes these rules are spoken; but often they are unspoken. Some rules are helpful, some are hurtful; but all have consequences. One of the keys to surviving and then thriving in any system - such as a family, team or organisation - is to know the ‘rules’. You can then decide how you want to behave. Imagine you work in an organisation. Here are three ideas for understanding the rules in the system.

1) You can clarify the ‘rules’ of a system.

Let’s start with some background about systems and ‘rules’. During the 1940s many people began to study systems theory. They found that most systems reverted to homeostasis - systems strove for stability. So if you introduced a change, the system would often reject the intervention and return to its previous state. It was possible for a system to evolve. But this required introducing something that, by and large, benefited the whole system. Otherwise parts of the system would drive out the intervention. These principles applied to virtually all systems - including families, teams and organisations.

Systems maintain stability in many ways. One way is by following certain ‘rules’ which are embodied in patterns of behaviour. There are different levels for understanding the rules in a system - but the most obvious is to identify the Dos and Don’ts. Some of these messages will be spoken, but others will be unspoken. One company’s set of rules included, for example:

Dos

“Do be a self-starter. Do set specific goals. Do keep you stakeholders informed. Do work hard. Do talk about life-work balance. Do talk about teamwork. Do continually strive for promotion. Do reach your goals.”

Don’ts

“Don’t actually practice life-work balance - it will be seen as wimpish. Don’t expect to be rewarded for teamwork - you will actually be judged on your individual contribution. Don’t expect positive strokes - next year we will simply up your targets.”

Looking at your own organisation - or an organisation with whom you work - describe the Dos and Don’ts. Some messages will be clear—but others will be unspoken. Try completing the following sentences.

Dos. The ‘Dos’ in the organisation are:

*

*

*

Don’ts. The ‘Don’ts’ in the organisation are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the consequences of the rules in a system.

After defining the Dos and Don’ts in the organisation, describe what you believe to be the pluses and minuses. The company mentioned previously had several contradictory rules. For example: “Do talk about life-work balance - but don’t practice it.” If somebody wanted to take time off to do something special for their child, for instance, they still felt guilty. This was despite the person often doing company work on Saturday or Sunday. Looking at the organisation, try completing the following sentences that outline the consequences, then move onto the next step.

Pluses. The pluses of the rules are:

*

*

*

Minuses. The minuses of the rules are:

*

*

*

3) You can clarify the rules you would like in a system.

Before describing your preferred rules, let’s briefly revisit some basics. Systems seek stability - which has both pluses and minuses. The human body, for example, often heals itself by overcoming illnesses. This is obviously a plus. If the human body slowly changes and becomes addicted to a drug, however, the new state will eventually become the status quo. Any attempt to stop the drug will meet with resistance. Certainly the body can take steps to regain its former health - but it may be a difficult journey.

Organisations also like stability. This is a necessary to function from day-to-day - but they also need creativity. Organisations that remain in a ‘steady state’ can drift towards decay. Why? They do not have the diversity required to tackle new challenges. Healthy organisations are therefore based on ‘similarity of spirit’ and ‘diversity of strengths’. This balance is crucial. People must ‘buy into’ the basic values - otherwise there is chaos - but also provide the variety required to tackle new challenges. Great organisations get the right balance between consistency and creativity. They also make the rules clear:

* They do give people clear messages about ‘the way we do things around here’.

* They don’t give confused, conflicting or coded messages.

Bearing these factors in mind, tackle the exercise at the end of this piece called My preferred rules. Describe the desired rules in an organisation where you would thrive. Describe the pluses and minuses of these rules - not only for you, but for the organisation. Finally, describe the steps you can take to find - or create - the kind of systems where you can succeed.

The rules in my preferred organisation would be.

 

Dos:

*

Don’ts:

*

The consequences of these rules would be.

 

Pluses:

*

Minuses

*

The things I can do to find – or create – the
kind of system where I do my best work are:

*

*

*

“The final part of the exercise was decisive,” said one person. “For years I had tried to do entrepreneurial work inside my previous company, but it became dispiriting. Eventually I get head-hunted, but I did lots of questioning about the ‘rules’ in the prospective company. The employees said the business: a) expected you to hit your agreed targets; b) expected you to take initiatives to create the future business. There were many other ‘rules’, but virtually all were beneficial. I have never regretted joining this company.”