How do you create an environment where people feel safe to speak up?
In our work with leaders, we often ask a simple but revealing question:
“What would happen if your people followed every rule and procedure to the letter?”
At first, many want to say: “Things would run perfectly.”
But after a moment of reflection, they realise the opposite is true, everything would grind to a halt. There’s even a term for it: a “work-to-rule strike.”
And yet, we’re quick to label those who don’t follow every rule as unprofessional, careless or unwilling. They should “just stick to the procedure,” right?
The human side of getting work done
But here’s the reality:
It’s impossible to follow all rules and procedures, all the time. And it’s uncomfortable to break them, even when the job simply can’t be done any other way.
Most people genuinely want to do good work.
Sometimes, the path to doing that work is messy, unclear, or practically impossible within the constraints of the formal process. So they adapt, they improvise… and often, they stay silent about it. Except maybe at the coffee machine.
Every broken rule is feedback
But every “broken rule” is a signal, a piece of honest, grounded feedback about how people experience their work, their leadership and their culture.
Ignoring those signals is like ignoring the warning lights on your dashboard.
Leaders who make room for open, human conversation don’t weaken discipline.
They strengthen trust, the foundation for real safety, continuous improvement and ultimately, mastery.
So the real question becomes:
“How do you create an environment where people feel safe to speak up?”
If this resonates, you may appreciate our new whitepaper:
The essence of Managing Broken Rules (free download)
It explores how organizations can shift from blame to awareness, from tight control to grounded trust and how that shift transforms safety and culture from within.
