Because “We've Always Done It This Way…”

Hi Reader, I’m glad you’re here.

The Most Dangerous Six Words?

Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic.

But “We've always done it this way” should at least make us pause.

Sometimes there's a perfectly good reason we've always done something a certain way. We've tried other approaches. We've learned some things the hard way. We know what works.

That's called experience. Use it.

But sometimes “we've always done it this way” really means:

This is the way I know.

This is the way I'm comfortable with.

Or, for managers:

This is the way I would do it.

Those aren't quite the same thing.

Your Way Is A Way. But Is It The Best Way?

This gets especially tricky when you're managing work you used to do yourself.

You know how to do it. You're good at it. That's probably part of the reason you're the manager now. So, you delegate something, explain what you need, and give someone room to work.

Then they start doing it...

Differently.

Not badly. Not incorrectly. Just not the way you would.

Suddenly, you have thoughts.

"Have you thought about..."

"You might want to..."

"What I usually do is..."

“Here, let me show you...”

All perfectly helpful suggestions.

Except after the fourth one, we should probably admit we've taken the assignment back.

Your expertise absolutely belongs in the conversation. If you see a risk they don't see, say it. If you've learned something that can save them time or prevent a mistake, share it. If there's a reason something has always been done a certain way, explain it.

But first ask yourself:

Is this a standard that matters, or a preference that happens to be mine?

The deadline may be a standard.

Quality may be a standard.

Customer expectations, safety, budget, how we treat people. All standards.

The order you do the work in? The format you prefer? The route you take to get there?

Maybe…

Or maybe that's just your way.

“Why Do We Do It This Way?”

Eventually, someone new will ask.

And this is where things can get interesting.

They haven't been around long enough to know all the history. But they also haven't been around long enough to accept “that's just how we do it” as a perfectly reasonable answer.

That's valuable.

Maybe they've worked somewhere that solved the same problem differently. Maybe technology has changed. Maybe the process made sense five years ago but doesn't anymore.

Or maybe they're about to suggest something you tried three years ago that was an absolute disaster.

Also possible.

Either way, use the expertise in the room.

Yours AND theirs.

Instead of shutting down the question with “We've always done it this way,” explain what you know.

"Here's why we do it this way..."

Then leave the door open:

"What are you seeing that we might be missing?"

That's where experience and fresh thinking can actually work together..

Different Is Good

Good teams aren't full of people who approach every problem the same way. They need different experiences. Different opinions. Different ideas. And yes, some disagreement.

"I don't see it that way."

"What if we tried something else?"

"Why couldn't we do it this way?"

Those aren't necessarily challenges to your authority. They're critical thinking.

If every discussion eventually ends with the team figuring out what you would do, people learn pretty quickly to skip the discussion and wait for your answer.

That's not ownership.

And it's a waste of the people you hired.

Your job isn't to have the only good idea in the room. It's to make sure the best thinking gets into the room.

Sometimes that will be yours. Sometimes it won't.

That's a good thing.

Try This Week

Find one “we've always done it this way” on your team.

A process. A meeting. A report. A handoff. A recurring task. Something everyone does almost automatically.

Then ask your team:

“If we were starting from scratch today, would we still do it this way?”

And don't answer first. Let people think.

Ask what they'd keep. What they'd change. What they see that you don't.

Then bring your own experience into the conversation. Explain the history that matters. Point out risks they may not know about. Share what you've already learned.

But don't use your experience to end the discussion. Use it to make the discussion better.

You may decide the current way is still the best way. Great.

Now you know why you're doing it that way.

Or someone may have a better idea. Even better.

The Bottom Line

Experience matters.

It's how we avoid repeating mistakes, recognize risks, and make better decisions. But experience should inform our thinking, not close it.

Set the standards that matter. Share what you know. Explain the history. Bring your expertise.

Then make room for someone else's.

Because “we've always done it this way” is a perfectly good explanation of the past.

It doesn't have to be the plan for the future.

Need a Thought Partner?

Sometimes you don't need another leadership model. You need a place to talk through what's happening, figure out what to do next, and practice the conversations that come with the job.

That's the work I do through leadership coaching, workshops, and manager development.

If that would be helpful for you or your organization, reply to this email. I'd be glad to talk.