Clash of values

Pinchot's 10 commandments for intrapreneurs stirs mixed feelings in people. Firstly we may read the same words but understand them very differently. Individual style may play a part in how much we're preapred to risk. National culture may also have an effect on how we respond. Gender can also have an impact.

THE INTRAPRENEUR’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

1 Come to work each day willing to be fired.
2 Circumvent any orders aimed at stopping your dream.
3 Do any job needed to make your project work, regardless of
your job description.
4 Find people to help you.
5 Follow your intuition about the people you choose, and work
only with the best.
6 Work underground as long as you can – publicity triggers the
corporate immune system.
7 Never bet on a race unless you are running in it.
8 Remember it is easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
9 Be true to your goals, but be realistic about the ways to achieve
them.
10 Honour your sponsors.

Part of my work is as a psychotherapist and counsellor. In domestic violence cases some women may believe that they must be totally honest with a partner, even if that person lies through their teeth and is abusive. Commandment 6 may be anathema to these clients, as they don't wish to copy the behaviour that they criticise in their partner. Part of my role is to enable people to shift from absolute to relative values in certain circumstances. If children may lose their mother because absolute honesty triggers a partner to kill, then perhaps withholding information temporarily may be the lesser of 2 evils.

Similarly someone who finds it difficult to control aggression may wish to remove this behaviour completely. I argue that, if a crazed axe murderer climbed through the window one night, it may be very useful to have high level aggression in combatting an attack on the partner and children.

Here are some questions that may help think this through:

How do I make sense of this commandment?
How do I adapt it to fit my situation and personal style?
How long can I sustain this behaviour?
If it conflicts with my personal values, how might it fulfill a higher value for me?