Why it matters
Culture rarely dies from lack of motivation; it dies from friction. Rules designed to stop the 1% of bad actors slow down the 99% who mean well. This ritual makes removing sludge a celebrated, repeated act rather than a one-off clean-up.
How to run it
- Collect nominations for the most frustrating rules, sign-offs, forms and reports.
- Ask two questions of each: What’s the real loss if someone abused this? What does policing everyone actually cost?
- Decide live. Leaders answer yes, no, or “answer within 48 hours” — an approach borrowed from GE’s Work-Out sessions.
- Make it visible. Tear up, shred or delete the scrapped rules in front of everyone.
- Reward the nominators. The people who spot sludge are doing the organisation a favour.
Watch out for
- Collecting nominations and deciding “later”
- Defending rules out of habit instead of asking what they really cost
When not to use it
For legal, regulatory or safety controls — route those to the relevant owners for review instead.