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Or, you could just work for a company that won't fire you for doing the right thing. I've turned things upside down a number of times, but if the outcome was correct, I never felt even remotely that I would be fired.
> You’ve got to recognize that companies are schizophrenic. They build process, and rules, and structure and they ask you to follow them: > [...] > But greatness rarely happens by following rules, process and structure. That is why companies also want to find employees ready to take risks, make decisions, try new things, move fast and even break things. The inconsistencies and contradictions you describe are not symp…
While I definitely believe you should follow tried and tested company policies on deploying software, coding conventions and even naming conventions because it's what has been working up until this point. I think sometimes a company needs a fresh perspective or opinion on something that could work better, maybe something has been working good enough, but could be better. You need to take risks, don't play it safe, but always remember to know when you're crossing the line between contribution and destruction. If you get fired for taking risks you are damn right you should be fired, because the company you are working for doesn't deserve an employee like you.
Doing the right thing doesn't mean be another follower. Doing the right thing means you always have the best interests of your employer in mind when making a decision that could affect your colleagues or direction of the company. I believe ignoring broken processes isn't doing the right thing.
Some people prefer roads already paved and others prefer to make their own way somewhere by paving their own way, taking risks to get there. Inevitably all roads lead to Rome. Unless you're going sideways through an airport door, then you're probably going to Bangkok.
A fine approach, as long as you don't have bills to pay and no realistic chance of securing another job in the time you have to pay them. Not everyone has that sort of freedom that this sort of risk makes sense.
Everyone else is in the mercy of their employer and don't have much choice but to follow the rules to avoid being seen as a troublemaker.
To his credit though Chade-Meng Tan earned some infamy by intercepting celebrities walking through the door and getting his picture taken with them :-) Not exactly "Good for Google" but not something that generally got you fired either. I'm all in favor of encouraging self empowerment but recognize that it means you will get fired more. It is the cost of doing what you believe. Not everyone is ok with that and I resp…
Don't forget to be humble too, and realize that what you think is the right thing, isn't always the right thing. There's no inherent valor in "breaking the rules" -- if you can, it's much better to gently persuade, bring people to your side, and talk things out.
Again, not disagreeing with the article, just pointing out that life isn't that simple always.
Some organizations, it seems, don't reward coloring outside the lines very much at all...
I use this strategy whenever I am given a bullshit deadline!
But the simple reality is there is always someone smarter than you. If you can come to terms with that, and take the time and effort to be the guy that someone looks up to, then you won't be fired.