NO Boundaries

                                            NO BOUNDARIES

1. We are very good at setting boundaries, limitations and restrictions not only on ourselves but also on others. We go to the extent of not only setting boundaries in our work place, social circuit but also in our thinking and thinking process. We decide even before we try to find alternatives to the problem we face, as to what is acceptable and what is not, what is right and what is not right and we even go the extent of looking at what others like and what they do not like.

2. We erect boundaries around our establishment by erecting walls, fences and have security. We proudly proclaim that our employees are our strength and totally trustworthy but we subject them to security checks when they come in and when they go out and to frequent checks and audits. We set boundaries and divide the establishment into department and divisions and then take a step further by restricting movement between departments. We even go to the extent of dividing the working areas into workers, supervisors’ and managers. The effect is that they become water tight areas. Not satisfied with this we even set up boundaries around ourselves by erecting partitions to protect our privacy and even demand our private working place.

3. Not satisfied with these physical boundaries we even set boundaries into our interaction with others by choosing with whom, how, where, when and what we wish to communicate. To protect the privacy we hide behind official letters, memos and now even e-mails. Face to face communication is fast becoming outdated to be replaced by e-mails, where you can write anything without betraying you facial expressions, emotions and true intentions. Body language is gradually being phased out.  After setting up these virtual boundaries, we spent a large portion of out time and effort in wondering as to why the communication between people and department takes so much of time and how to improve inter and intra departmental communications.  We isolate ourselves behind the walls and partitions and then after erecting them we worry as to why the communication is poor in our organization and what we can do to improve it. We would prefer to write and exchange a number of memos or e-mails to our colleague and next door neighbor on a simple problem but would feel humiliated in just getting up and going to his place tot talk and sort out the issue. We have hierarchical structure in our organization, reserved parking spaces, special eating tables and go to the extent of having reserved elevators and passages. We tend to create a class within a class and still follow the old feudal system.

4. We impose boundaries in our behavior by imposing how and what to dress and what not to wear. We have traditions, customs, mannerism and accepted ways of doing things and even decision making and rules and regulation to see that these are followed and adhered to. Any deviations are criticized and even punished. We have standards and specification to stop people from going beyond a particular limit and then we spend considerable amount of time wondering as to why there is so little progress and why there are hardly any new ideas coming forward in meeting and the only new ideas being put forward are the same old ones put in a different packaging.

5. We encourage people to use e -mails and hence create virtual boundaries behind which we can hide ourselves, our emotions and true feelings. Of course they are useful for conveying decisions, information to large number of persons located at different locations but rarely within the same building or offices. We thus neglect the most powerful way of communication that is face to face. This face to face communication improves communication, builds trusts and creates a friendly atmosphere and allows persons to develop confidence.

6. We do not seem to realize that the problems are basically due to the boundaries, whether physical or virtual, which we have set for ourselves and for our employees. Most of these problems will get sorted out when we see the rules, restrictions, standards, customs, traditions and accepted ways of doing thing as restrictive boundaries which not only restrict poor movement but also restrict out thinking and the capability to generate new ideas and new ways of doing old things. If you wish to change the organization then it is worth while to just sit down quietly and reexamine, reassess and rewrite these boundaries. The ideal system will be the one that has no boundaries but it is a utopian concept and we can always try to achieve it and in the process become a better person a, a better place to work and a better way to do the things.

7. To change or remove something one needs to act in a different way, to act in a different way one needs to think in a different way and to think differently one needs to see and perceive the present in a different new manner and in order to achieve this one needs to remove the boundaries which one has created around one’s thinking, work place and the accepted way of doing things.

7. The first step in any process of change is to accept the fact that something needs to be changed. This starts with by asking the questions:-

      (a)  Do we require these boundaries?

      (b)  Is it the only way to do things?

      ©    Does it improve communication?

     (d)  Does it make common sense?

     (e)   What is its real purpose and can we achieve the end without it?

     (f)  What all restrictions this imposes?

     (g)   Does it require change?

     (h)   What will be the effect of changing these?

8. Do not change something just for the sake of changing it, change it if it requires change , if it improves your thinking, if it hinders communication, if it will permit more free thinking and improves creativity, if it makes common sense and most important if it makes progress.  Aim for better and better rather than on the best as better allows one to focus on the process rather than on the results. Once you have decided to remove or modify the boundary, but before implementing it ask again:-

          (a)  Does removing it meets the objective we have set out to achieve?

           (b)  Does it offer simplification of the process?

           ©   Does removing it make sense?

           (d)  Is this change a step towards making the process better?

9.  This starts a new cycle of examining new boundaries and again a cycle of new questions and answers. This is what will ultimately start a process of continuous improvements in the organization which will allow you to achieve better and better performance and results.