In his poem, “Mending Wall” four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost paints a word picture of two neighbors who meet during “spring mending-time” to restack rocks on the stone wall that separates their property.
The poem includes the well-known line, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Now’s a worthwhile time to take a fresh look at the boundaries you’ve established for team and individual performance.
In my book Accountability, I describe The Seven Pillars of Accountability that must be in place to build and sustain a culture of high performance. Accountability is a mindset, and a crucial component is the idea that “Clarity creates confidence.”
The wall Frost describes provides clarity about each person’s property.
Setting clear boundaries for objectives, strategies and behavior will improve organizational performance. Being clear about each person’s role in helping the organization achieve its objectives will improve individual performance.
Boundaries don’t fence us in. They give us the freedom to focus on being our best.