Be clear
When setting ground rules for people to follow, make sure that they’re actually applicable and easy to follow - with easy meaning everyone can understand and know the importance of that rule.
One area where this can crop up is out-of-office communications. As an organization, communicate your guidelines properly to let people know what is expected of them in terms of office correspondences when they step out of the office - or in the age of remote work, when they log off their computers.
Be concise
Don’t use policymaking as an opportunity to confuse your team even further with big words and long-winding explanations for the rules. The simpler they are, the easier they are to follow.
Consider having a simpler employee handbook that’s easy to read and digest, and an omnibus for a more comprehensive application of office rules.
Be consistent
To nurture positive discipline, avoid having random rules that only apply to some and not to everyone. In the spirit of fairness, office or work rules should be reliable and not erratic.
For instance, having coffee Fridays regularly helps decompress your team and allows for team dynamics to be nurtured. But don’t just do it one week and then abandon it the next. People like routines and the reliability of information and events, and having things change too often, especially without prior notice, messes up their orientation of rules and discipline.
