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Take What You Need Policy
Leadership / Principles
Trust people to take what they need and give what they can.
The Idea
Instead of rationing resources, tracking entitlements, or requiring approval for every small thing - let people self-serve.
Examples:
- Unlimited PTO (done right).
- Self-service access to tools and environments.
- Expense policies based on judgement, not receipts.
- Book/learning budgets without approval.
Why It Works
- Removes friction from getting things done.
- Signals trust.
- Reduces administrative overhead.
- Treats adults like adults.
Why It Sometimes Fails
- Without norms, some people take too much and some take too little.
- "Unlimited PTO" often means people take less because there's no baseline.
- Works best in high-trust, clear-expectation cultures.
How to Make It Work
- Set clear norms and model them. "We expect people to take at least X days off."
- Make it visible. Transparency prevents abuse.
- Address outliers individually, not through new policies.
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