Break the Rules

If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun. ~ Katharine Hepburn

Indeed, we don’t advocate for breaking ALL rules, and some are there to prevent you from dying. But how often do you hold back because you were bound by the rules?  What ties you down that prevents you from doing what is earthshaking?

I worked with a company with strict guidelines regarding branding.  This public image was important, consistency was key, staying within the bounds was paramount to the marketing department’s mission. In learning, we know there are more colors than three. To make things interesting and engaging, you might need to break free from the rules.

How did we resolve this? It took time, patience, and a lot of education on adult learning methods and theories. Demonstrating the contrast between the bounds and out of bounds – as well as sharing the learning advantages ultimately enabled us to publish award-winning content that was well outside of the corporate rule.

A key success factor is to understand the directive, what is the root of the reason for it to be in place? Knowing this motivating factor can help you break it without too much trouble.  Or you could just decide to be a rebel and break all without concern for the affect. I wouldn’t recommend breaking without thinking.

What about you? When have you broken the rules to only help you or your company?