When following the rules isn't quite the same as serving the purpose.
Twenty-six years ago, I was travelling with my family on one of the world's leading airlines. We had been allowed to board early because we were travelling with our young children.
Our two-year-old daughter became thirsty and restless. A good 15-20 minutes before the departure announcement was made, I asked a flight attendant for some water. She said she would bring it. She passed our seats five or six times over the next few minutes and I reminded her a couple of times. The water never came.
As my daughter's crying grew louder, I reminded the lady once again of my request. This time, she told me that they could no longer serve water because the aircraft was about to take off. We would have to wait until after take-off. I understood the safety requirement. What I struggled with was something else.
There had been ample time to respond to a simple request from a thirsty two-year-old.
It made me think about service - and about leadership in organisations. Policies and processes matter. But they are there to serve a purpose. They should help people do the right thing consistently. They shouldn't become a reason to stop thinking about the person in front of us.
What stayed with me wasn't simply that the water didn't come. It was the absence of that small act of empathy when there was still an opportunity to respond.
Good service needs rules. But it also needs people who can see beyond the rule to the reason for it to exist.
Twenty-six years later, I still remember that flight. Not because the incident was dramatic. But because it made me wonder about something that applies far beyond aviation:
What happens when people use rules and policies as a shield to hide behind, even if unconsciously, instead of exercising judgement in service of the larger purpose?
When does following the rules stop being good service — and start getting in the way of the very purpose they were meant to serve?
