Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, 5th Edition

10All Rules Were Meant to Be Broken (Including This One)

“Rules exist to serve, not enslave.”

—Software programmer’s axiom

Rules are everywhere. We encounter formal rules in the form of laws and policies—“No right turn on red,” or “Returns must be accompanied by receipt.” Other rules are informal, taught by custom or experience—“When you bump into another person, say ‘Excuse me,’” or “Allow extra time when driving during rush hour.”

Rules should share a single purpose: to make life run in a more efficient, organized, and orderly fashion. We sometimes call this purpose the spirit of the law. But rules don’t always fulfill their spirit. In fact, sometimes they work against what we’re trying to accomplish. That’s why it’s important for Knock Your ...