Work "rules" to break

We've all heard these before - the workplace demands certain behaviors with rigid rules to follow... 1. Stay away from emotional topics 2. Climb the career ladder 3. Do what you were hired to do 4. Live at the office 5. Network 24/7 In '5 Work Rules You Should Break', Patrick Doyle argues against all of the above. Here are some of my own thoughts... Stay away from emotional topics Highly recommend this quick You Tube clip of an interview with Anne Kreamer on 'Emotions in the Workplace'. Humans are emotional beings and it's ridiculous to think that we can fully check our emotions at the door when coming to work. Emotions bring out the passion in people and allow us confront real issues rather than becoming complacent. When we share feelings with our coworkers we develop deeper relationships and learn to emphasise with others. Climb the career ladder The myth out there is that you have to pursue a management job to build a career path that is progressing and rewarding appropriately. Our own OD department has developed two distinct paths: People Managers and Individual Contributors. I believe that both paths offer opportunities for promotion. In our current business environment, I think a resume is valued for the value a person realised - rather than the number of people managed. Lateral movements can develop new skills and open doors to new career paths. Do what you were hired to do We all know someone who "only does their job"... but does anyone like working with that person? It's frustrating when people don't accept personal ownership and accountability under a false shield of it being "outside their job responsibility". Going above and beyond to get the job done right is appreciated and recognised. Live at the office Developing interests and hobbies outside work boosts creativity and productivity at work. There may be times when work is crazy and long hours are absolutely necessary to meet a due date - but you should have peaks and valleys (not all peaks). Avoid burn-out by taking your vacation days (you've earned them!) and not working through your lunch hour. Working effectively and staying focused throughout the day should avoid consistent over-time hours. Network 24/7 Connect with people in a real, personal way to help your career. From the article previously mentioned: "It’s inefficient to... start mingling with random people.  ...Work social-media connections instead. You can get in touch with important people who interest you, whether they’re in your industry or not. Retweet messages of theirs, ask them questions, and strike up online relationships. From there, it can be easy to get them to meet you for lunch or coffee".