The Employee's Unapproved Feature

Your employee “wastes” time doing a feature you didn’t approve.

You find out about the feature as it is being released to customers.

Customers are enthusiastically happy with the new feature. Thrilled, in fact. They complement you and your team!

Do you

• reign in your rogue employee 
• give her more influence in deciding future features
• ignore this one infraction since it worked out okay

Quickly write down your answer and then read the next paragraph.



...

Okay, you've written down your answer. It doesn't matter so much to me what answer you chose, or if you chose one not given above. What I want to know is what were the principles on which you based your answer.

• How important was the outcome v. the process? 
• How crucial is conformance and predictability of action v. success of action and engagement? 
• Was the employee's act one of insubordination or service to customers? 
• Which is more important? 

If you complete this little meditation and change your answer, what did you change it from and what to? And why? 

I'd love your answers here, or if you prefer to be anonymous at my sayat site.