The case for common sense at work
Executive Take
Every blanket policy written for the rare bad actor punishes everyone else and erodes trust. Leaders who default to new rules over judgment calls are training their managers to stop deciding anything.
Executive Summary
A leadership essay argues common sense at work gets overridden by ego, mistrust, and fear rather than actually disappearing. It gives three examples: a manager punishing a 30-minute late arrival, a manager wrongly accusing a report of missing an email, and a CEO changing remote work policy based on a viral video. The author proposes a "Pause-Consider-Act" test before escalating or creating new rules.
Why It Matters
HR and people leaders should care because policies built on one viral video or one bad actor quietly damage trust with the 99% who did nothing wrong. This directly affects retention and manager credibility.
Bizquad Perspective
The real cost isn't the bad rule itself, it's that managers who get overruled on judgment calls stop making judgment calls at all, even good ones.