There is a fine balance between suggestions and rules. Suggestions are there to help; rules are there to confine. So often in organizations what begins as a suggestion (usually masked in the cloak of “best practice”) quickly becomes an ironclad rule. Why do we allow this to happen?
The unfortunate answer is convenience.
It’s just easier to compare results if everyone followed the same method. It takes time to judge the comparative value of unique things. It’s why teachers prefer multiple choice tests to essays. They’re simply easier to grade.
It’s also easier to follow the paved street than it is to blaze a new trail. The problem is that the paved road cannot take us anywhere new.
But at the same time, without suggestions and guidance, we can often find ourselves facing the impossible management of limitless options. Essays are easier to evaluate if they’re all on the same topic. And an educated guess towards exploration is far more productive than simply getting lost in the weeds.
We need the balance. We need experience, guidance, and suggestions to prevent the paralyzing effects of limitless choice. But we cannot allow the line to be crossed that we become bound to the rules and unable to innovate and create. It’s not easy- but balancing never is.
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