‘Clint was a 35-year-old sales professional with strong communication skills,’ recalls corporate wellness expert Sara Canaday, author of You—According To Them. ‘And made a lasting impression on the people he met. He had a real talent for landing great job offers wherever he interviewed. His resume featured an impressive parade of Fortune 500 firms as previous employers. However, this long list hinted at a serious problem. Clint struggled to remain employed with any company for more than eight months. In fact, he spent the better part of his career changing jobs and industries. A nomadic employment record seemed odd for someone with such obvious skills and a proven history of sales success. So why did all of these blue-chip companies hand Clint a pink slip if he didn’t run for the door first?’
Canaday explains, ‘Clint suffered from what I refer to as Don’t Fence Me In syndrome. Buoyed by his ample self-confidence, he believed that the value he brought to each employer allowed him to bypass the companies’ written and unwritten rules. He skipped the company picnic because that would infringe on his personal time. And, despite the standard for business-casual attire, he sometimes showed up at office wearing shorts. He was the company’s self-appointed crusader, crafting detailed memos to the CEO enumerating the flaws in the latest company policy…Whatever benefits he brought to the company were just not worth the trouble of trying to get him on board with policies or directions handed down from senior management. And before long, Clint was busy sending out resumes once again.’ But why?
‘Those who are plagued by Don’t Fence Me In syndrome seem to struggle with the fact that business is a game,’ Canaday asserts. ‘When they choose to be employed, they’ve chosen to play the game. So—like it or not—they need to follow the basic rules. Every business has certain “rules of engagement” that define its corporate culture and provide a proven structure to support the next great innovation. But you can’t play Monopoly if someone throws out the board. Corporate renegades like Clint are typically quick to identify the external factors that have plagued their careers, from lousy supervisors to preposterous corporate strategies. Clint believed that taking a stand against corporate policies and customs demonstrated his leadership and ingenuity, but his managers simply perceived him as difficult and defiant.’
Canaday points out, ‘People with Don’t Fence Me In syndrome habitually resist what they perceive to be cruel constraints of authority—unnecessary rules that limit their individuality, their creativity and, most of all, their freedom. These are the people who perform well but hit a major roadblock when it comes to following the standard procedures. Certainly, no one is suggesting that companies would be better off with an army of cookie-cutters, order-following Stepford wives for employees. Creative thinking is critical for companies to gain a competitive edge and differentiate their products and services in unique ways.’
So how do you play the game and win? ‘People who fall into the Don’t Fence Me In category should begin to think about the structure and norms of a business in a new way,’ Canaday advises. ‘Just because you follow the basic rules doesn’t mean that you are being smothered by authority or shamelessly catering to office politics. Playing the game is a smart, savvy way to get ahead, not a humiliating, white-flag surrender. Making that critical shift in thinking is one of the most important steps you can take to begin changing your reputation…The strongest branches on the tree are the ones that can bend without breaking in the fierce winds. The branches that refuse to bend are the ones that snap off quickly and get tossed to the ground. Being flexible and adapting to cultural norms is not a sign of helplessness, but being strong and business savvy.’