Don’t make a new rule for everyone because of one person. Go talk to the one person.
LEADERSHIP
WHAT THIS MEANS
A rule written in response to one person’s behaviour lands on everybody who was already doing the right thing. They lose some freedom for a reason they will never be told, and the person who caused it often does not realise the rule is about them. Making a rule is easier than having a conversation, which is exactly why it is tempting.
If one person’s behaviour is bothering you, go to them directly and name the specific thing. Keep it short and keep it between the two of you. Save general rules for problems that genuinely show up across the whole group.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Which conversation are you avoiding by changing a rule instead?
MORE IN LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
- “Good job” fades by dinner. “That pass under pressure was smart” can stick for years.
- Kids remember the counselor who sat with them when they couldn’t sleep, not the one who ran the best game.
- Leadership starts with leading yourself: doing what you told yourself you’d do, even when nobody’s checking.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.