Here's the dangerous way I put it that I only tell senior people: understand why rules were made and make sure the people who made them would be happy.
replies(3):
> A lot of us got the message earlier in life that we had to wait for other's permission or encouragement to do things, when in fact, all you need is the ability to understand the situation and deal with the consequences
> You never need permission to do a good job.
But of course, it takes the experience to understand the nuances of what a good job is in the domain at hand, in the organisation and society at hand.
> It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Of course this can be used to justify all sorts of terrible things, but I've mainly seen it as pretty innocent in work environments when applying common sense.
> Only ask for permission if you want to be told “no”