No Offence, But If There Are No Boundaries Count Me Out!

I have noticed something about my working relations and preferences. As much as I love a job or it pays well, if there are no boundaries or explicit rules I tend to lose interest. I go from a 100 to 0 real quick.  Like it or not, human beings in general need some form of stern hand to maintain boundaries or yet alone to avoid people from being too comfortable. Without rules the world would be chaotic, rules simply create order out of chaos.

Ever asked yourself why we have so many rules? In fact why do we have to follow any rules at all? Imagine a world where you can do whatever you want and whenever you want. Although you might be free and the absence of rules sounds thrilling, it’s a beautiful canvas of chaos. I was reading an article, this analogy confirmed my thoughts, “When you drive, you’ll realize how many rules apply to the act of operating a vehicle. You can’t go as fast, park as want or just change lanes.” Imagine if everyone on the road drove like the mushika mushika (taxi) guys. The horror! I'm gasping for some air, just from thinking about it. 

Basically you are responsible for more than yourself and company's interests. And I’ve been in situations where serious things are taken casually all in the name of millennial mentally or promoting creativity. So call me insane or old fashioned, but I would rather be in an environment guided by specific, outlined roadmap and a whole lot of transparency. We want to modernize, do things differently or allow more creativity but in all honesty rules and guidelines is the string that holds everything together. I respect things like deadlines and accountability, they give me life and purpose. A chance to challenge myself I can’t pass on.

"Stucture is very important."  via @nkocykay

Rules, are like an insurance policy though on consent, the ones without consent are the bad apples of tyranny. Effective communication is key, not just relying dos and don’ts but a two way communication where feedback is implemented. It’s one thing asking for feedback and another to actually act on it. It allows a give and take relationship making sure expectations are clear. We’re not very good at knowing what is right and responding to extreme freedom. If we’re being honest, it’s impossible and the lockdown gave us taste of that bitter medicine. We were all up in each other’s personal space and time.

News flash to start ups, entrepreneurs and my generation in the game, giving employees’ complete freedom doesn’t guarantee the best out of everyone. Me for one, I work better when I have unambiguous guidance on what is (and what is not) appropriate. Reason why I strongly believe HR is a really important part of every company. I don’t mind trading some little freedom in return for security and clarity. I would rather channel all my energy to actually working than abdicating all responsibility and leave the company clear from any accountability.

It's an illusion thinking we can function properly without rules. No offense, But I Prefer Boundaries and Fomal Communication.

📸 Tomi Gbeleyi