Some of the main roads near my house are being paved. The first step is to mill off the top layers of material in order to prepare for the new paving. This, of course, takes off the white and yellow guidelines in the roads.
This weekend while I was driving around, I saw people driving a two-lane side road like it was a four-lane highway. People were all over the place because there were no lines to guide them. Without the usual lines setting boundaries, people felt empowered to do whatever they wanted.
This got me thinking about leaders and boundaries. Leaders need to set boundaries to help control scope and focus on goals. The word boundary sounds restrictive, but used as a leader the intent is not to overly constrain, but to guide. Just as the drivers on the unmarked road felt empowered to do whatever they wanted; our people can feel the same way.
As leaders, we must set a path for our people based on goals we collectively agree upon. Often times leaving a limitless path can lead to wasted efforts and frustration.
The key to setting good boundaries is ensuring they are collaborative and agreed upon.
So, how can leaders set meaningful boundaries?
– Mutually agree upon limits with our people (what is in-scope and what is out-of-scope)
– Don’t make the boundaries overly restrictive (setting finite limits may over constrain our people)
– Set engagement rules for boundaries (where and when can our people push the boundaries and when do we need to address together)
– Set collaboratively with our people (make boundaries overly adaptive, not overly constrained)
The bottom line; boundaries should be considered a path, not a stone wall.