"Technology shapes behavior more reliably than rules do.
Standards protect teams from the most common lie: “just this once.” In a request to bypass a guardrail “just this once”, the purpose is not to be strict; it is to stay consistent under stress.
In a request to bypass a guardrail “just this once”, the exception will sound reasonable and urgent. If the exception path is fuzzy, enforcement becomes personal and the standard becomes optional. That is how dissent turns into resentment. If you do not name the cost now, it will return later as rework, pager load, or a standard nobody can enforce.
Langdon Winner is useful here because it forces precision. Write the standard in enforceable language, then name the only acceptable exception signal and who can approve it. Let others hold you to it.