Zombie Rules

Every business needs rules.  Rules for employees, rules for customers, rules for vendors...just rules. Rules are an infrastructure of sorts that define what is "with" and what is "against" the essence of our work.

But among the thousands of things I've messed up over the past ten years, I think I've botched rules more than anything else.  Contrary to popular belief and the measurements of dullards like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, I think the Universe is a Remarkably Small Place.  I've never been anywhere else where it's quite so easy to trip over my own damned self.

The origin of a rule is usually a Bad Experience: some dirtbag steals a travel mug, an employee arrives at the shop late, or a Kaladi Coffee wholesale customer pays slow on their terms.  Wrongdoing births Indignance; I get bent because Someone didn't do Something they were supposed to do.  My indignation causes me to structure things so that the same Wrongdoing doesn't happen again.

And so rules are conceived. 

Rules are often phrased as "Don't" statements.  "Don't give Marko coffee on terms 'cause I'll have to call him and hound him to get paid".  "Don't run payroll without examining punch times...employees are always trying to come in late and leave early".  Or, "don't give a refund without a receipt: everyone is out to screw me".

When narrowly examined, rules like that may indeed keep the (also narrow) Wrongdoing from happening again.  But like something out of Greek mythology or like Zombies, rules have a way of reflecting their origin.  There's a demonic mutation that occurs...rules born of Bad Experience have a way of turning on themselves and in turn, on their authors. 

When more broadly applied, a rule intended to keep Marko from overextending his tab makes me hound Paul, who while a day late is one of those folk who most often pay their bills in full and on time.  A well intended but badly constructed rule leads me to chastise an employee who is five minutes late today, but who is usually punctual.  The customer who is denied an exchange or refund without their receipt is one time in ten a thief...and nine times in ten a regular good customer who lost their receipt, and who, feeling disrespected, won't come back after being denied.

If rules are made to address customers who steal, employees who cheat, and wholesalers who are deadbeats, those rules will, in effect, create a business whose customers steal, whose employees cheat, and whose wholesalers are deadbeats.

It's kinda an extension of the old saying "be careful what you wish for...you just may get it".

Rules should be created to sculpt the kind of business you WANT, not the kind of business you'd like to avoid.  Rules should create a positive flow, they should direct events toward the Desirable. 

I know that sounds like a bunch of hippie poop.  Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not hippie like that.  I'm not always a peace-nik, and I'm certainly not a pacifist.  But I'm not deaf either; I can hear it when the Universe says "let up, Dude.  Let go of your indignation.  Don't make Zombie Rules.  Make rules that serve your Good clients, your Good employees, and that help define your Good company".