​If you can’t or don’t want to play your competitor’s game, change the rules!  Just because that’s the way it’s always been, or the RFP says so, doesn’t mean that a fresh approach isn’t needed.  In fact, that provides all the more reason to become proactive.

Rules are necessary in most aspects of life.  They provide us with order and discipline in an otherwise chaotic world. Often they are designed to inject fairness into a game or a business process. But, all too often, they become just Rules; sometimes, the people who publish them can’t even tell you why they were required originally.

I’m not suggesting that you ignore rules, many of which are thoughtfully designed to protect your life (e.g. “Flight Rules”, or pool safety rules against diving in the shallow end). Odds are those came about because someone before you suffered a tough lesson.  I am suggesting, however, that when the rules presented don’t ideally fit the situation, it’s up to you to recognize that. Then it’s up to you to work on changing the rules to those that make more sense and which will produce the desired outcome.

Only operating within the rules limits the creativity of solutions that might be more beneficial for your client. It’s like only coloring between the lines as a child. The canvas is much broader than that and the possible color palette more vibrant.

You can still play by the rules and yet change them by offering options, ideas and solutions that don’t fit within the lines. Before you can change them, however, it pays to understand the rules as they exist. Then change them to adapt the approach to align with your unique capabilities and strengths, always keeping the best interests of existing or prospective clients in mind.   

I don’t agree that rules are made to be broken, but I absolutely believe that it’s necessary to change the rules by adapting to competitive realities and the continuously changing business landscape. Plus, it makes the process so much more fun when you’re playing a game that features your strengths!