7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change

CHAPTER 7Guide, and Allow for Variation

Empower reasonable deviation and new possibilities.

STANDARDIZED PROCESSES DO MAKE SENSE WHEN LOW variation is desirable and possible, given the nature of demand. Standards are necessary to communicate and manage requirements pertaining to product safety, quality, and adherence to mandated protections and regulations (FDA, IFRS, GAAP,¹ and the like). Standard practices are essential when equity and fairness are a concern across an organization. For example, diversity and inclusion practices need to be consistent across an entire company. Likewise, expectations for ethical behavior must be the same at all levels from top to bottom.

In other cases, applying the same process or standard can lead to problems ...