WORK ACROSS BOUNDARIES
WHY IT MATTERS
Whether they exist between people, departments, or organizations, boundaries prohibit results and complicate work. Differences between people, teams, organizations, goals, cultures, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds will always exist and prove to slow the work down if they are not breached. Leaders who can work across boundaries break through the walls, blockades, and barriers to their success. They refuse to be trapped by them. Their ability to work across boundaries signals their ability to advance the work forward no matter the obstacle. Leaders who can’t work across boundaries are left to imagine would they could have accomplished if they weren’t confined and limited by the impasses they allow to trap them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders who work across boundaries see the organization as one united team, built to accomplish a shared objective, rather than as a group of disparate parts. They recognize they are working to advance the same cause as those around them. Knowing that, they choose to work with others instead of avoiding them. They want to be part of the collective consciousness of the organization. They look for why they should work with others instead of why they shouldn’t.
Leaders that work across boundaries understand the unique part and contribution each part of the organization is designed to perform. They don’t value one part of the organization above another. They see how the whole system works together. They appreciate the distinctive role each individual, team, and group plays in reaching the end goal.
Leaders that work across boundaries defy the traditional limits that exist in organizations. They question and challenge boundaries that add unneeded complexity and complicate the work. They look for the organizational “red tape” and get rid of it. They build bridges with other leaders and groups that allow the work to happen better, faster, and cheaper.
Leaders that work across boundaries embrace differences. They see differences in culture, background, experience, skill, role, and belief as what brings richness to the organization. They accept and work with everyone, utilizing the differences that exist between them and others to their advantage.
Leaders that work across boundaries create networks outside their organization. They have the ability to see boundaries that need to be bridged. They know they are part of a larger professional ecosystem, and they actively contribute to it.
Leaders that work across boundaries promote an open culture in which everyone feels free to collaborate and speak up. They believe great ideas can come from anywhere, and aren’t limited to the “experts.” They purposefully reach into distant parts of the organization for ideas, feedback, and inspiration.
Leaders that work across boundaries offer to help other people and groups with their work. They want others to succeed, and invest in helping them do so. They contribute to and work on projects that benefit the whole organization, even if it doesn’t impact them.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Whether they exist between people, departments, or organizations, boundaries prohibit results and complicate work. Differences between people, teams, organizations, goals, cultures, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds will always exist and prove to slow the work down if they are not breached. Leaders who can work across boundaries break through the walls, blockades, and barriers to their success. They refuse to be trapped by them. Their ability to work across boundaries signals their ability to advance the work forward no matter the obstacle. Leaders who can’t work across boundaries are left to imagine would they could have accomplished if they weren’t confined and limited by the impasses they allow to trap them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders who work across boundaries see the organization as one united team, built to accomplish a shared objective, rather than as a group of disparate parts. They recognize they are working to advance the same cause as those around them. Knowing that, they choose to work with others instead of avoiding them. They want to be part of the collective consciousness of the organization. They look for why they should work with others instead of why they shouldn’t.
Leaders that work across boundaries understand the unique part and contribution each part of the organization is designed to perform. They don’t value one part of the organization above another. They see how the whole system works together. They appreciate the distinctive role each individual, team, and group plays in reaching the end goal.
Leaders that work across boundaries defy the traditional limits that exist in organizations. They question and challenge boundaries that add unneeded complexity and complicate the work. They look for the organizational “red tape” and get rid of it. They build bridges with other leaders and groups that allow the work to happen better, faster, and cheaper.
Leaders that work across boundaries embrace differences. They see differences in culture, background, experience, skill, role, and belief as what brings richness to the organization. They accept and work with everyone, utilizing the differences that exist between them and others to their advantage.
Leaders that work across boundaries create networks outside their organization. They have the ability to see boundaries that need to be bridged. They know they are part of a larger professional ecosystem, and they actively contribute to it.
Leaders that work across boundaries promote an open culture in which everyone feels free to collaborate and speak up. They believe great ideas can come from anywhere, and aren’t limited to the “experts.” They purposefully reach into distant parts of the organization for ideas, feedback, and inspiration.
Leaders that work across boundaries offer to help other people and groups with their work. They want others to succeed, and invest in helping them do so. They contribute to and work on projects that benefit the whole organization, even if it doesn’t impact them.
BELIEFS
- Every person in an organization is ultimately on the same team and driving towards the same goal.
- The more you limit your circle of influence the less complete and rich your work will be.
- Make it easier for people to work together instead of creating boundaries that make it harder.
- Just because an organizational silo existed yesterday, doesn’t mean that it should exist tomorrow.
- Organizational boundaries need to be confronted and continuously broken down.
- The recipe for success in the modern world is an openness to sharing, togetherness, and collaboration.
- Most organizational red tape is built to protect an organization from itself and is completely unnecessary.
- People are always better when they work together than when they work alone.
BEST PRACTICES
- View the organization as one big team.
- Teach people the need to work together.
- Value each function equally.
- Overlook differences that exist between groups.
- Believe differences are positive and good.
- Make it safe for people to collaborate.
- Look for opportunities to work with others.
- Prefer to work in teams instead of alone.
- Build strategic alliances with other groups.
- Be an active part of your community of practice.
- Create networks outside the organization.
- Actively seek for the ideas and input of others.
- Don’t be territorial with your role or work.
- Ignore boundaries in the organization.
- Push through the red tape that exists.
- Try to eliminate bad bureaucracy.
- Don’t silo off parts of the organization.
- Value people who think differently than you do.
- Accept people no matter where they come from.
- Reach compromise instead of stalemates.
- Bring outsiders into your work.
- Pull multiple disciplines together.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I see everyone in the organization as being on the same team, or do I see others as the enemy?
- Do I build bridges with others, or am I determined to just stay in my own personal cocoon?
- Do I try to cut through the organizational red tape that exists in the organization, or do I accept it?
- Do I prefer to work alongside others in partnerships, or is my preference to work alone?
- Do I invite others into my work and help them with theirs, or do I promote “every man for himself?”
- Do I constantly work to keep doors open and barriers down, or do I set up borders and silos?
- Do I see how the organization works as a united whole, or do I not understand how the organization is designed?
- Do I venture outside of my work and my team to see what others are doing, or do I stay parked where I am?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t break down a boundary or barrier blindly, without knowing its full history or the consequences for doing so.
- Don’t break down silos and boundaries that really do play a critical role in keeping the organization safe.
- Don’t allow the needs of your own organization to suffer because you are so busy building bridges elsewhere.
- I break down organizational silos.
- Everyone should be allowed to contribute to the decision-making process.
- I never get territorial when working with people from other departments.
- I purposely ask people outside of my department for their ideas when facing a problem.
- I like collaboration and teamwork.