When It Is Right to Break an Order
■ Following the Instruction Literally Is What Caused the Morning Mishap Before his nap, Dr. Koshiba told Hakobukun, "Don't wake me until morning, no matter what." Hakobukun obeyed, waiting at the door all night with medications still awaiting his approval. Tired people give orders that protect only the next hour of rest.
■ The Problem Was Not the Order but the Missing Exception Asking not to be woken is reasonable. What was missing was a condition for breaking it. Pending approvals outranked his sleep, but Hakobukun had no rule for ranking them. Obeying a command and protecting safety are not the same thing.
■ Conclusion: Decide When to Break the Rule in Advance Koshiba withdrew his "no matter what," and Hakobukun replied that it would wake him when it should. What matters is agreeing on exceptions ahead of time: pending approvals mean a wake-up call. Set those conditions while people are still rested. Real loyalty begins with knowing when not to obey.
