The easiest way to deal with work life and people are to tip-toe around them, correct? We are taught not to go against the grain out of fear, dismissal and possibly getting fired. Maybe it is the seemingly insuperable workload, which is making you nuts or something more menacing going on that is keep you in knots. There are unspoken rules within any office culture, and navigating this can be tricky no matter what the situation could be. But sometimes you need to take a stand and become a rule-breaker. We know it sounds daunting, but if done in a professional matter, you could see a change or discover that it's time to move on. If you are going to remain, you can't become reckless either. The decisions that will often make you regretful are doing things out of emotion and we don't want that as this can become disastrous to your career. You may work in an environment where employees are afraid to take a step forward because they hate conflict, but the truth is there needs to be a balance. Here are 5 rules that you need to break at work.
Speak up or get out.
You need to first assess if you want to see a change in your career and in your workplace. You can't break any rule if the passion is gone and you dread waking up and going in. The political climate at the office used to be overlooked, and now you can’t stand the sight of the latest gossiper moving along in the ranks. Yes, the market is tough, but then again what's your sanity worth? Be honest with yourself, because if you have one foot out the door, it's pretty senseless. Yet, if you are honest with yourself and your employer you could prevent this disconnect. Guess what? If you have the guts to talk to your boss about what is troubling you, that is an unsaid rule that you broke. For obvious reasons, many people refrain from being upfront with their employers, but if you do it in a professional matter, it can make all the difference.Be fearless.
Going against society norms makes you stronger and makes you feel more independent. If we didn’t have people go against the wrongs of society, people like Rosa Parks, Gandhi or everyday champions for human rights, where would we be as a civilization? These are advanced cases, but you need to take a stand if partisanship is occurring. For example, if someone is taking credit for your work, then you need to speak up as they probably have done this before. This happened to one friend during a heated meeting and he corrected the person who totally took credit and lied about the success of a project. He spoke up and other people, including his boss, thanked him for having the guts to speak up and to resolve the situation.Be honest.
The well-beaten path is not always the correct way at work for sure. If your boss can trust you to be upfront when issues arise, they can't trust you with more responsibility. Lies could be told in a business setting, but you don't have to cower in fear, you can be honest that it is wrong. The best thing you can do is take the information to your supervisor if something is amiss. If they don't do anything about the situation, you've done your part. Acting on integrity will not only build your reputation but your confidence. If you need to vent about it, find someone who can be objective as venting is not for the office.Change bad habits.
Author Mark Fritz said that unless we take it down to the habits level and do something different on a daily basis, not even the best strategies and plans can create the success we desire. There is this atmosphere of phoniness that everyone has it together. We all know this to be true, but as a rule-breaker, you are transparent about shortcomings and don't make excuses. "Wherever your focus goes, so do your energy, drive and action. If you are not focused on what you are doing, your energy is spread all over the place," Fritz added. In this instance, concentrate on changing your faulty habits to help strengthen your position.Be confident.
You wouldn't think that this is a rule to break, but people are afraid to be confident out of fear that it will be misinterpreted. There is a difference between healthy confidence and a crazy ego. A confident person makes people nervous, so let it be. It's not your problem because they view the person as controlling. The problem is that a poor workplace can negate a healthy self-esteem, so you need to call on your inner strength when faced with opposition. "I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time," Austrian-British psychoanalyst Anna Freud wrote.Being a rule-breaker is considered a taboo thing. But it has benefits at work and in life. If we never took a risk or stood up for injustice, where would be? When people say it’s always been done a particular way, that’s when someone who goes against the grain points in the opposing direction. Think about that during a meeting, conversation or making a career move.
