Many of us pursue the stability of a 9-to-5 job, believing it to be the gateway to personal and professional fulfillment. We bring our expertise to the table each day, hoping to return home with a sense of accomplishment. But are we truly content? More importantly, do our workplaces nurture our ideas and ambitions? The answer is wrapped in a multi-layered veil, with hundreds and thousands of unspoken workplace rules that we are expected to follow.
These workplace rules are never mentioned in the emails, agreements, and contracts we aspiringly signed when becoming part of the organization. It has been a routine that you learn and unlearn these rules through trial and error formulation.
Whether you’re a team lead, an aspiring professional, or a business owner, understanding these unspoken rules can help you nurture a thriving and resilient work environment. You either need to be part of the culture where you learn these rules or dive deeper and look out to read some memoirs and personal development books that help you understand the culture better.
Such reflections on life could be read in the book by Ed Doherty. In his insightful book Observations at the Speed of Life: Lessons in Every Moment, Doherty reflects that the power of culture often lies in how people treat each other in everyday moments. Though the book is a memoir of the author, it reflects upon the behavior, setting, and upsetting of the workplace that determines the choices we make in professional life.
Here is a brief overview of some unspoken workplace rules that are meant to help you cope with workplace culture and maintain the decorum of the corporate world.
Respect is Practiced, Not Preached:
One key lesson that every workplace silently observes is that respect is practiced and not preached. Respect goes far beyond being polite to each other. It means valuing others’ time, space, contributions, and perspectives. In workplaces where people feel seen and heard, collaboration flourishes.
Being part of any corporate environment doesn’t mean you have to surrender your time and space at the cost of your job. Not only do the employees need to filter it down the hierarchy, but it is also the responsibility of the leaders to practice the rules that they preach.
Moreover, a healthy workplace environment is one in which most people feel safe and secure and can contribute without fear.
Be Careful Of Whom You Call Friends:
The workplace is a space where you spend some of the most productive phases of your life. We live, eat, and spend time with our workplace colleagues, but it is essential to realize that we live in a selfish world.
You simply couldn’t trust others with all the data, information, and other essential sharing of feelings and emotions. You might never know who could use them against you and work against you.
According to the author, Ed Doherty, we should not look for examples of big events in our lives. Instead, we should take lessons from our routine events. Whether it’s working in shipyards during the Vietnam War or engaging in daily interactions, each moment offers an opportunity for learning and growth. For unspoken rules of workplace culture, it is important to be selective and aware of whom you call friends and how much information you share with them.
Culture is Everyone’s Responsibility:
If we look at any workplace serenity and calmness, it has been a cooperative effort of many individuals working in a space. Hallway conversations shape it, how feedback is given and received, and how people support (or ignore) one another during stressful times.
One employee’s integrity, kindness, or curiosity can spark change in the broader group. A strong culture, therefore, isn’t imposed from the top down; it grows from the inside out. The book also highlights the importance of leadership in maintaining the culture of any workplace. Drawing from his extensive experience in executive roles, Doherty underscores the importance of leading with authenticity, empathy, and a commitment to personal values. That later filters down to the whole organization.
Growth Is Not Optional:
One rule we have cracked over the years of working in multiple organizations is that we all hunt for growth and opportunities. Workplace cultures prioritizing learning and growth don’t wait for annual performance reviews. They build learning into the rhythm of work. Mistakes are seen as opportunities. Feedback is both given and received openly. Curiosity is encouraged.
Moreover, professionals have realized that change, curiosity, and self-development should be taken as challenges and not threats. Those who have will adapt to the environment and continue to grow their professional graph upward.
Leaders are First to Follow:
In strong cultures, leadership is not about titles or control but service. Great leaders listen more than they speak, give credit freely, and step in when their team needs them the most. To conclude, workplace dynamics are always in flux, and things that didn’t make sense previously are now accepted as the norm. It is important to note that building a positive culture isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Organizations that embody these unspoken rules attract and retain top talent, adapt more effectively to change, and enjoy higher levels of employee satisfaction.
