Do YOU know your Boundaries?
June 11th, 2008 Posted in Creating Success, Curt's ArticlesOne of the most common reasons that people experience less success and suffer from low confidence is the lack of understanding their boundaries.
In today’s world, it has become expected for people to perform many different functions to fulfill their role within an organization. The phrase “multi-task” is the latest and greatest corporate buzz word that is supposed to mean you can get many “things” done during the day. In reality, it means that lots of “things” get attempted, but very few are completed or done well.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, which should indicate that everyone is NOT good at everything. So why then is this seemingly simple concept is so often not understood?
Having spent several years working in corporate America and many more studying it, I can tell you that it is NOT a lack of resources or personnel. It is simply the lack of gaining the knowledge of what each employee has a high aptitude to do.
People are misplaced in job functions all across the world. They are just floating through the challenges that each day brings, getting further and further away from using the skills that they were born to do. I often wonder how much more productive every company would be if they would simply “discover” what their employees are good at rather than just “expecting” premium results while they perform work that does not match their skill set.
Understanding boundaries isn’t just a “corporate” issue though. It is also common place in other facets of life. The meltdown of the mortgage industry is a prime example. Many inexperienced “Mortgage Professionals” popped up at the heart of the housing boom because it was a quick and easy way to make some good money.
At the same time as this occurred, the Real Estate world was flooded with NEW “investors” and “House Flippers” that bought way too many properties with easy loans. These “Investors” thought they could make some quick and easy money since home prices kept on rising and some did….but many didn’t.
What did the NEW “Mortgage Professionals” and the NEW “Investors” have in common?
Neither was good at it. These people saw what the Real Professionals were doing and thought they could do it too. It was a lack of understanding boundaries.
There were Great school teachers that turned into bad investors and Excellent purchasing managers that became terrible loan officers. People that were fantastic at their jobs tried to cross their boundaries and become what they are not.
One of the most classic examples of NOT understanding boundaries occurs at the mid-level management position. In many companies, after a certain length of service time, people are promoted to a Manager. For some reason there is a thought that exists that with a long service time comes great management material.
It makes no sense. Many people are Great Leaders and Managers, but it typically has absolutely nothing to do with service time. Service Time and Management is NOT a mutually exclusive combination.
The prevailing thought is that with service time comes experience and knowledge which in turn leads to success. The only thing that gets left out is the ENTIRE MANAGEMENT part. Great managers understand one thing, how to maximize the use of their team.
They know how to communicate and place others in a position to excel, but more importantly, the employee feels they are valuable. When the employee is placed in a position that is compatible with their boundary scope, they will feel confidant and perform higher in their role.
Having a true and realistic grasp on your boundaries is absolutely crucial to future success.
Signs that you are outside of your Boundary Scope:
• No Passion-If you have no passion for what you are doing, boredom and failure WILL follow at some point.
• Lack of Knowledge-Not having the knowledge to do something is not necessarily a sign of future failure as you can always learn what you have passion for. However, the lack of gaining the necessary knowledge will lead to failure.
• Lack of Desire-This goes hand-in-hand with lack of knowledge. If you don’t completely understand how to succeed at something, desire will carry you through. On the flip side, the Lack of desire will land you in mediocrity.
Do you know your boundaries?
