Break your own rules

About this episode

The episode discusses the circumstances under which it is acceptable to break established rules in various contexts, including sports and personal life.

When is it okay to break your own rules? Picture this: You’re the team manager of a social over 45s football team, where the mantra is every player gets a fair go. Your team hasn’t won in two years. Your goal differential is a dismal -99. Somehow, in the last game of another winless season, you’re 1-0 up at half time. Your worst defender is sitting on the bench, due his 30 “fair go” minutes. What do you do? Every collective of people has rules. Families, social groups, sports teams, and organisations all have rules and norms about what is considered fair and reasonable. When is it okay to break them? I play crap level old-man football. The stakes are low, but feelings aren’t. At the other end of the spectrum, Col has coached ultimate frisbee for the Australian team at international level. Winning matters. It’s the explicit goal. Yet some concession is still made to opportunity and fairness. Whether at work or at home, I'm sure you've got rules that help ensure people are treated fairly. I'm also sure there are times when it feels right to break them.

People in this episode

Hosts: Cam Fink, Col Fink

Topics covered

• breaking rules
• team management
• fairness
• sports
• decision making

Keywords

• rules
• fairness
• team management
• football
• decision making

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australian team

More episodes of The Fink Tank

• Make more bad stuff · June 4, 2026 · 5 min
• Human bacteria · May 28, 2026 · 4 min
• Fifty years of stuff · May 21, 2026 · 6 min
• Hoarders delight · May 14, 2026 · 6 min
• Fink Tank Origins · May 7, 2026 · 2 min
• The Fink Tank Chair of Theseus · April 23, 2026 · 7 min