Lucid Minds

I Agree!  I Understand!  I Accept!

November 7, 2003

Last Revised:  May 23, 2012 4:50 PM

Staff and others may well go through phases as they read the Company Policy for Vibrant Life.

They may agree with some Policy, disagree with another, feel that they can "behave" in accordance with some Policy even though they don't agree with it -- or have any of many other considerations about Policy!  It is also possible that someone will secretly disagree with some Policy and violate it in ways that are kept hidden.

I have observed that there is a sequence along this line.

First, "Policy" is a very specific thing in this Company.  As described more generally HERE, it is always written, only by the single designated person, and is a very senior statement of our rules of operation.

Every staff member is expected to accept all Company Policies.  This does not mean the staff member understands or agrees with the Policy, but at a minimum the staff must accept the Policy as the rule of behavior and operation in this Company.

"Acceptance" is not so much a mental thing, as an outward behavior.  If you accept the Policy, then you behave in accordance with it -- whether you like it or not, agree with it or not, understand it or not.

To "appear" to accept while secretly, or unknowingly, behaving in a contrary way means either that you have not understood the Policy sufficiently to understand how to behave, or that you do understand the Policy and choose to disregard it.   The later is grounds for termination of employment. The former is a sign that a better degree of study of the Policy is needed by the individual than has occurred thus far.

Any organization which prospers can only do so when the individual members of that organization at least accept (behave in accordance with) Company Policy and, further, act to get others to accept the Policy when failure is observed, or failing any personal effort to "correct" they are willing to report the behavior for some senior to sort out.

Failure to report observed violation of Company Policy is just as harmful to an organization as direct violation of the Policy, and is treated the same way.  We expect that further study of the Policies involved leads to acceptable behavior, or we terminate employment.

Beyond "acceptance" is actual understanding.  You might think that you cannot accept that which you don't understand.  In fact "acceptance" is demonstrated by behavior while understanding is a mental phenomenon.  So, we cannot directly judge "understanding" (except, for instance, in tests and queries), but we can SEE behavior.

We expect the behavior described in these Company Policies whether the Policy is agreeable or not agreeable to the individual.

Thus, the Company Policy includes the fact that we provide certain "paid holidays" each year, and not more or less.  Someone may well feel that if THEY were in charge, they would have some different Policy -- or some different rule for holidays.

You can always "query policy" with a polite written note to the person responsible for setting Policy and suggest why you think some change is useful.  But, there is never any justification for violating any Policy whether you agree with it or not, whether you have queried it or not.

Disagreements with Policy are OK to place in a query, but they are NOT OK as a subject matter for discussion within the group.  Any time two or more persons "discuss" their mutual disagreements about the Company, you have the beginning of mutiny -- it is not tolerated.

"Acceptance" is expected as the minimum of any staff member.  Promotion into Management requires more than mere acceptance; promotion requires full understanding of and agreement with Policy.

Policy is written to lead the Company toward expansion and prosperity, and to help individual staff members also expand their levels of responsibility and improve their survival because of the Company expansion.

 

Official

Karl Loren

 

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