The Work Revolution: Freedom and Excellence for All

The New Rules

Okay, great: We’ve ditched the old rules. But what are the new rules?

Sorry folks, there are none—which is both the good news and the bad news.

A single set of rules, even if they are new, to fit every situation and organization is exactly what we have now, and exactly the wrong approach. A single set of rules is easy; black and white. It’s similar to the notion of zero tolerance in schools. It eliminates any need for judgment, evaluation, critical thinking. It also quashes any sense of empowerment, individualization, and “gray-zone” thinking, which make life interesting and organizational agility possible! Zero tolerance is code for laziness. If you manage by laziness, that’s exactly what you’ll get in return.

There are, however, principles that can establish a flexible framework to inspire every individual, leader, and organization to make the changes that lead to a true Work Revolution. Here they are, in brief, along with the chapter number where they are discussed in detail:

Impact, Not Activities (Chapter 4)

• Start focusing on results—both the goals of the company and the impact of each individual—and then define the behaviors and activities to support this approach. Better yet, let employees discover the best behaviors and activities for them, to achieve the results and share with each other, thereby creating a strong performance culture.
• Stop caring about activities that are only loosely correlated (and sometimes completely uncorrelated) with actual performance, ...