Tim Thomas, the Bruins goalie, has had a stellar start this hockey season. His save percentage and win record are unbelievable but his style is unorthodox at best. Does his style matter?

Perhaps your son’s study habits are appalling. He starts his homework so late that you lose sleep worrying. Nonetheless, he gets good grades and the papers you’ve read look pretty darn good. Does his late start matter?

Or maybe you have a young employee with a bizarre wardrobe and a messy office who gets more done than others in his position. Does his messiness matter? 

The answers are no, no, and no! If you are getting excellent results, the method doesn’t matter. As long as the business results are good and customers and other employees are not negatively affected, any method, any style, any clothing, etc., should be permissible. It is the results that count!

I encounter far too many managers (and parents) who insist things be done their way. Sometimes they seem to be more concerned with how something is done than whether it produces results. Studying immediately after school and wearing “normal” clothes are arbitrary choices that add no value in and of themselves. Just because they work for you, doesn’t mean they are the only choices, or even good choices, for someone else.

Furthermore, unusual methods often lead to breakthroughs. Diverse opinions and perspectives can stimulate thinking and lead to great new ideas. Making everyone march to the exact same beat fosters little creativity. Cut people some slack and focus on results and you might be surprised by the benefits!

On the flip side, I also encounter managers who are reluctant to “impose” their methods on an employee. They totally believe methods are a matter of style and know theirs are not the only way or necessarily the best way to do something. Trouble is they behave this way whether the employee is succeeding or failing using his own methods.

• If goalie is wild and lousy, you would be doing him and his team a favor by helping him develop a different, perhaps more orthodox, style.
• If that son of yours is starting his homework too late, missing deadlines, and sleeping through class, it is time for a chat about objectives and some alternatives that might be more successful.
• If your employee with the messy style is driving customers away, you need to provide feedback as to why his wardrobe choices are inappropriate.

When you see employees with methods that aren’t working, they need to be told. And if you have a method you believe will work for them, you absolutely should show them and encourage them to use it.

However, in neither case is my-way-or-the-highway an effective response, at least not initially. Your way is a perfectly good suggestion. Evidence that your way works is a good addition to the conversation. But ultimately, you will get the best results if you ensure a clear understanding of priorities and rationale along with solid suggestions for how to achieve the desired results. An employee who understands what is expected and feels able to bring his best to the situation will be the most productive and effective employee.

Successful companies focus on ends, not means. They encourage employees to constantly seek better means and make every effort to share best practices so that all, individually and collectively, can steadily improve their ability to achieve the desired ends.