Beating the system conjures up vivid images when it comes to safety. Every company has their “system beater,” some have more than one. Almost everyone knows who he or she is, but rarely does anyone intervene when these individuals are in the throes of beating the system. More often than not, system beaters beat the system when no one is watching.
So why do system beaters believe they need to beat the system?
Reasons range from a euphoric passion to beat the “Man” (or “Woman”) all the way to believing the only way to be recognized and rewarded is to rely on beating the system (i.e., taking safety shortcuts) to get the job done.
Oftentimes, system beaters want to beat the system because the rules are too rigid, and those who make the rules expect strict adherence to the rules all the time. Sometimes rules are based on the belief that those tasked with implementing the rules are not intelligent enough to know what to do or when an exception is in order.
I have found over the years that those who are expected to implement the rules know their jobs better than those who create the rules in the first place. In fact, they know their jobs so well they become extraordinarily innovative in crafting ways to beat the rules.
There is no debate that organizations need safety rules to guide employees in their daily work activities and ensure safety; however, to assume strict adherence by everyone all the time is wishful thinking. Demanding strict adherence to all the rules all the time leads employees to disrespect all the rules when no exceptions are tolerated.
Rule-makers also assume that rule-implementers will not make any mistakes, in other words - Zero Injuries and Incidents. When a mistake occurs, a need arises to beat the system particularly when the rule, strictly applied, results in a mistake. This is especially true when the rule-makers refuse to admit or listen to the rule-implementers’ suggestions for changing or improving the rules.
According to Russell Ackoff and Sheldon Rovin, “…a system’s flexibility