Conventional Culture – When Rules Replace Thinking

Key Insights

Rules without purpose can create risk.
When people are told what to do but not why, rules can be followed in ways that undermine safety, effectiveness, or common sense. Understanding the objective behind a rule enables better decision-making when situations change.

“Just following the rules” undermines accountability.
Highly conventional cultures can encourage people to abdicate responsibility. When outcomes go wrong, individuals hide behind procedures rather than owning decisions or using judgment.

Conventional Cultures can perform well – until change is required.
In stable environments, clear rules and processes can drive efficiency and consistency. However, when conditions change, these cultures often struggle to adapt quickly or creatively.

Innovation is suppressed by rigid thinking.
A strong focus on “the way we’ve always done it” discourages experimentation and new ideas. Over time, this limits improvement and prevents organisations from evolving.

Policies and procedures tend to accumulate over time.
Rules are often added in response to isolated incidents and rarely reviewed. This layering effect can result in unnecessary complexity and a focus on compliance over outcomes.

Leadership risk aversion fuels conventional culture.
Leaders who fear poor decision-making often respond by tightening controls. While this may reduce short-term risk, it prevents people from developing judgment and capability over the long term.

Shifting from rules to outcomes improves decision making.
When people understand organisational goals and the reasons behind guidelines, they can make smarter choices in varied and unpredictable situations.

Job design plays a critical role in motivation. 
Low-autonomy, highly repetitive roles encourage people to disengage and “switch off.” Even small increases in autonomy or task variety can significantly improve motivation and ownership.

Recognition and punishment shape behaviour.
If initiative and experimentation are ignored or punished people will stick rigidly to the status quo. Recognising effort, learning, and experimentation encourages responsible innovation.

Experimentation builds capability and confidence.
Treating change as a genuine experiment with clear goals and review points reduces fear and increases learning. Even unsuccessful experiments provide valuable insight when framed correctly.

Trust, clarity, and capability are the antidotes.
Reducing over-conventionality requires clear direction, trust in people, and deliberate capability-building. When these elements are in place, organisations can loosen controls without increasing risk.