Rules You Should Never Follow
Business is full of stupid rules that someone in some boardroom made up to keep employees and managers in line.
The customer is always right
Wow, is this the dumbest rule ever? We are all customers at some point and let's be honest there are definitely times when we are not right. The customer is right, unless the customer is wrong. You never want to be rude, but there is a definitely tactful way to tell a customer that they are wrong. Just never let them know that that's what you are saying.
It's all about the money
We're not communists or anything, but if the internet has taught us anything, money can't be the only measure of your success. Money flows in and out like water. Money should definitely be part of the equation, but your impact on the world and the legacy you leave behind needs to be part of it. “No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”
― Andrew Carnegie. And he should know, he left all of this money to build libraries, after a lifetime of employing children.
Hiring experience, not people
Just because someone has been doing the same job for a long time does not make them a good fit for your team. Hire someone who will be a great team player, not necessarily a superstar. Ask the Yankees how many times they've hired a great player who was no fun to play with. Skills, you can teach. A crappy personality is permanent.
Moving the best off the floor and into the corner office
Just because the guy on the factory floor is great at making widgets doesn't mean he's going to be good at managing the widget makers. Don't think that just because someone is good at their job they'll be good at their bosses job.
Guilty, until I'm sure
The 90 day probation thing for new employees makes no sense. Since most states in the US are “at will” states anyway, there is no logical reason that you should even have a 90 day probation. And what does this really say, “New employee, my judgment is so bad that I needed to put a policy in place so I can take back my mistakes with the people I hired.”
Not too much now
In the world of big box employment, Americans are getting paid less and less. Then companies are spending ten of thousands finding and hiring new employees. Here's an idea: Pay people a livable wage and they will stay with you longer.
