Workplaces where change is constant often sell that disruption to employees somewhat cynically by exhorting the benefits to their brains and bodies of staying nimble and flexible.
Ironic but not surprising though that, if the boot is on the other foot and employees are behaving or replying in an agile unpredictable manner, it is generally not appreciated by employers.
Sometimes, when you think everyone knows how you will react to something, it is good to respond differently. Being taken for granted is not a good thing and it’s always important to keep others on their toes.
Keen watchers of politics can generally predict with a fair degree of accuracy how a certain politician might deal with an issue, by, for example, bluffing or blaming their way out of it.
However, this week we have seen several politicians and former MPs engaging in unexpected and impressive behaviour when we may have anticipated a different outcome, proving they are in fact, like the rest of us, human beings with all our whims, conceits and fancies.
First, we were faced with the unedifying prospect of Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick being ordered out of the House on Tuesday for not apologising for a comment she made in a debate on New Zealand’s tardy progress towards acknowledging Palestine as a state.
Parts of the human anatomy and their potential symbolism have figured frequently in parliamentary debates during the decades.
Referring to the guts or the spine, particularly in terms of a member or a party being in the unfortunate physiological position of not having one or the other — and suggesting they are cowards — is nothing new.
Former prime minister Robert Muldoon’s attack on then Labour PM Bill Rowling that he was a "shiver looking for a spine to run down" set the benchmark.
In more recent decades, Nick Smith, Steve Chadwick, Winston Peters and Tau Henare all resorted to pointing out the opposition’s or an opposition members’ lack of spines or guts.
They got away with it, either backing down and apologising, or because the target of the attack had a thick skin and said they were not offended by it.
Another former PM, John Key told Labour to "get some guts and join the right side" on deploying troops to Iraq, somehow without managing to be censured or sanctioned.
But hang on Ms Swarbrick — not so fast in your case.
Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee was most upset with her comment that, "if we find six of 68 government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history". It was "completely unacceptable" and she needed to withdraw the remark and apologise, he said.
She would not, and Mr Brownlee told her to leave the House, somewhat randomly "for the rest of the week". On Wednesday, Ms Swarbrick again declined to say sorry and was named and ejected again.
Ironically, it was Mr Peters defending her, saying it was not an offensive enough comment to be kicked out over, and there needed to be robust debate in the chamber.
Mr Peters and NZ First colleague Shane Jones have of course made some truly objectionable comments about Green Party MPs for being migrants and needing to be sent back to Mexico.
Also, this week, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, former PM Dame Jacinda Ardern and her deputy Grant Robertson, and former health minister Ayesha Verrall declined to appear in public for part two of the Royal Commission on the Covid-19 pandemic response.
This has been accompanied by a soupcon of "shock, horror" and gave government ministers a chance to point out what a terrible look it was PR-wise and hint at things being hidden.
The reality is, these four have already given their full evidence and this would merely have been a repeat performance for what is arguably a show trial to appease NZ First voters keen to play the blame game.
Their refusal seemed at first out of character, but is another example that politicians too can behave in unexpected ways.
