(Shakespeare: Midsummer night’s Dream, Act V Scene 1)

The wall, perhaps the most common and obvious boundary, that for most of us most of the time literally surrounds us from all sides. We go through our lives surrounded by so many walls and other boundaries of one sort or another that we become almost blind to their existence. That is until one of them gets in our way, slows us down, causes us to make a detour – or helps us avoid injury or even saves our lives.

But the humble wall, as well as the many other boundaries that surround us each and every day, deserve much greater attention. This is because our interaction with and reaction to them does, to a very large extent, defines our existence – who we are, what we do and what we achieve in our lives and work.

Starting from the simple front door and garden fence, crossing through to the national boundary and finally reaching up into the Earth’s atmosphere between outer space and us, the boundary manages, defines and to an extent controls our existence. It is a constant presence, just like the air we breathe; in fact it is the air we breathe.

Not paying attention to boundaries costs us much. We ignore the Earth’s atmosphere and what should protect us begins to kill us. We ignore or violate another country’s borders and a war starts. We forget to lock the front door and we risk losing our possessions.

What is true for the rest of the planet and human society holds good for the world of Work. Many of the boundaries to be found here may be less obvious, fuzzy and sometimes even invisible, but when considered from within their context they are no less significant and influential. Many an overseas contract has been lost due to the unwelcome crossing of cultural and traditional lines. Many a potentially company saving or groundbreaking idea has been ignored and lost because it was unsuccessful in bridging the gap between junior and senior, expert and non – expert.

This article will:

We come into contact with many different types of boundaries during the course of our lives. Some are obvious and physical: walls, fences, closed doors. Some are less obvious, more abstract in nature and they surround such things as: social class, educational background, perceived status and age (the clichéd generation gap). They all have one thing in common though – they all limit and divide. They limit access, interaction and communication, and divide what is inside from what is outside, what is this side from what is that side. This is the most obvious, fundamental characteristic of boundaries.

Boundaries imply communication

But Boundaries also imply crossover and connection. They are a transition point from one person to another, from one place to the next, from one house to another, from one country to another, from being here to being there. Boundaries possess an innate potential for communication: for knocking on the door; peering over the fence; for tentatively waving at a frontier post.

Recognising and reflecting upon the above duality, the potential for limiting and dividing but also for making contact and communicating, is central to our understanding and appreciation of boundaries. Boundaries provide structure and limits, but also a focus for contact that can be touched, explored and understood. Managing this duality is the key to managing boundaries effectively, to keeping them flexible and open enough to ensure communication, but also firm and closed enough to ensure structure and safety.

Someone or something usually but not always owns a boundary: one side or the other may own it; it may be jointly owned; ownership may be under dispute. We very quickly become aware not only of the boundary but also who owns it and how much power and influence they have as regards guarding it or admitting people to pass through it.

In some cases, like coral reefs, they actually are alive. They are born, they grow and evolve and then they split and multiply. Eventually they fade away and even die. Sometimes they not only die but also become fossilised, hard but brittle, and then they may eventually collapse spectacularly. Just like the Berlin wall, which weakened by the turmoil and progress of events surrounding it, became a fossilised remnant of a hated past and dramatically fragmented under the hammer blows of peoples’ frustration, anger and relief.

Like the tank, boundaries have the capacity to kill and injure. But people regularly interpret this danger as a challenge: astronauts have died trying to pierce the boundary of space; climbers have died trying to climb Mount Everest. Boundaries are continually tested, because by testing them we test ourselves. How we measure up to the challenges and risks inherent in many boundaries can tell us meaningful things about our own qualities and worth as human beings.

As well as dividing, boundaries can also protect and conserve. Madagascar is home to unique species because it is surrounded and protected by the sea. The unnatural perimeters of wildlife parks protect endangered species. Customs charges and regulations protect home markets. The boundaries associated with marriage and traditional family life conserve particular moral values.

But what can protect can also stifle. A tiger too tightly confined within the area of its enclosure will slowly go mad, padding its borders and roaring dementedly at nothing but its own sadness. Institutions, surrounded by the smog of centuries old tradition can choke to death for lack of the oxygen of new ideas and innovation.

One of the major affects of a boundary can be the creation of, or the creation of the illusion of, exclusivity: the Business Class Lounge at the airport and the ritual of showing your ticket as you enter; the Executive Directors Dining Room; the plethora of clubs and institutions offering that reassuring boundary between ourselves and everybody else. Everybody wants to feel special in some way and the creation and maintenance of boundaries helps this.

Hidden away under the wish for exclusivity are the strong needs people have for structure, security and safety. These are very deep, fundamental needs and boundaries provide for them better than most other things. The physical boundaries of castles, forts, locked doors, panic rooms, enclosed communities, armour; the abstract boundaries of religion, ritual, organisational culture, the law, politeness and social correctness – all of these provide the reassurance people crave regarding structure, security and safety.

The above characteristics make clear why boundaries have such resonance for us – why they are so important to us. We need boundaries not only to ensure our effective day – to – day functioning, but also to provide reassurance concerning our instinctive needs for protection structure, security and safety. Consequently changes to boundaries can have very significant implications for us; they can scare us very easily.

It sometimes takes great bravery to make even the simplest of trips across a boundary, especially if we are not sure about what is on the other side. Prisoners locked up in small cells for a very long time have been known to refuse to walk out when the cell doors have been pulled opened. They know their boundaries very well and even find them reassuring when what lies outside is unknown and potentially hostile.

We know when we come into contact with a boundary. It affects us immediately in some way or another. We may feel inspired by the challenge it offers, intimidated by its presence, frustrated by it, angered by it, reassured by it. If it is a boundary of little significance to us we may be merely irritated, bemused or even amused by it. One thing is sure, our behaviour will in some way, small or large, be changed by it. If we see a door slightly ajar we may well be inclined to push at it a bit and poke our head round to see what lies on the other side, or we might be inclined to quietly close it. If we encounter a firmly locked door we may take a step back, look it up and down, try out the locks, knock on the door and stand in front of it waiting for something to happen. If nothing happens we may just walk away, or we may knock the door down. The precise reactions, of course, depend entirely on the individual, their perceptions and state of mind.

Boundaries can become strong because we allow them to, because we need their structure, reassurance and certainty, their red warning signs. But once Boundaries become immovable barriers, the dragons that guard the ends of the earth, we are trapped rather than empowered by them.

Each person reacts to boundaries differently and even the same boundary can illicit different reactions from different people. These reactions depend very much on how people perceive a given boundary and once again, different people can perceive the same boundary differently.

Some people see the physical boundary of the three Gorges dam being built in China as evil, because they believe it will destroy the natural environment and displace whole populations. To others it is seen as a godsend, something that will supply masses of energy and enhance the lives of millions. It all depends on which side of the argument, or dam, you stand. Some see it as a boundary to be managed, whilst others see it as a barrier that kills and corrupts the environment.

Here are some more possible differences of perception:

Different people can see the same boundary as either strong or weak.

The Maginot Line, which came to prominence during the start of the 2^nd World War, is a very physical example of this. The French were confident of the ability of this defensive line to fend off the German forces. The Germans saw it as static, out of date and therefore weak - an immovable barrier that could, quite literally, be got around – which is exactly what they did.

Some staff working within a hierarchical structure will perceive the boundaries of seniority and status as strong, insurmountable and unquestionable, whereas others will see the very same boundaries as weak enough to be questioned, challenged and overcome as and when necessary.

Different people can see the same boundary as justified or unjustified.

The land boundary between Mexico and the USA comes to mind here. Those on the Mexican side feel they have the right to aspire to the standard of living to be found in the USA and that restrictions to movement across the boundary unfairly stop them from experiencing it. Those on the USA side see the restrictions as justified because they protect a way of life and standard of living. Interestingly this boundary is eroding, with America giving into the inevitable and announcing amnesties for some Hispanics and their families who originally entered the USA illegally. Put simply, the USA needs their labour and it turns out there is plenty of livelihood to go round. The boundary is changing and evolving as we watch.

Different people can see the same boundary as permanent or impermanent.

In religion, for example, some items of faith or ritual can be seen as immovable, unchangeable by some people, but by others as parts of a living approach to spirituality that need to evolve with the times in order to retain their power and relevance. Differences of opinion about who can become a priest, who can get married, and the use of contraception illustrate this point clearly.

Different people can see the same boundary as trustworthy or untrustworthy.

Some people trust their banks and financial institutions, surrounded by the boundaries of monetary expertise and experience, to invest their money correctly, but others do not, taking instead direct and detailed control of their finances. Some people trust their doctors, surrounded by the boundaries of medical ethics and expertise, to look after their health and cure them, whilst others do not, insisting instead on second opinions.

Different people can see the same boundary as helpful or unhelpful.

Those dealing with bureaucracy or red tape from the outside, as clients or customers, can perceive it as unnecessarily time consuming and frustrating, whilst those on the inside, who maintain the bureaucracy, may perceive it as ensuring uniformity, fairness and consistency.

Different people can see the same boundary as natural or unnatural.

French aristocrats of the 18^th century assumed that they had a natural right to rule and created associated boundaries of ritual, tradition and law to reinforce this position. The French masses saw things differently; they saw the boundaries surrounding the aristocracy as unnatural symbols of an unnatural rule. We all know the results.

Different people can see the same boundary as limiting or liberating.

A job description can be seen only in terms of its limits, with the jobholder continually feeling frustrated and penned in by its constraints. The same job description could be seen as liberating by another jobholder, he/she concentrating on all the things they could do differently and innovatively within their terms of reference.

Different people can see the same boundary as owned by different people.

This is one of the most common differences in perception and the one that causes a lot of problems. The patriotically painted curb – stones and walls in Northern Ireland say ‘our boundary, our land’. The fact that these symbols are there, shining so bright, clear and large, means that someone, somewhere begs to disagree – the odd bit of graffiti scribbled here and there may well underline this fact.

Here are some ways to manage the many boundaries, abstract or physical, which we encounter during our lives and work:

Boundaries exist for a purpose and are usually important to someone or something. If they become meaningless and unimportant they usually decay (like ancient castles) or obviously invite their own very popular destruction (the Berlin Wall again). Mostly it is best to manage a boundary – work with it and around it, because to try and force its premature destruction usually makes a boundary stronger and turns it into a seemingly immovable barrier.

Language can be used to define, understand and make connections with and through a boundary. Greet the boundary – keepers, show interest in their role and boundary by asking questions. Describe to them your view of the boundary. Emphasise similarities of view but also be careful to value and respect differences. Be assertive and inclusive rather than aggressive and exclusive in your language. Whenever possible favour the words ‘I and we’ rather than ‘you and them’. Inclusive language encourages connection and communication, be this the straightforward permission to walk over a threshold, or the more complicated building of psychological bridges that allow you into the cultural inner sanctums of other organisations, businesses, informal networks and families.

If the boundary were alive what would it be? Who would it be? What would be its nature? How would it behave? Imagine this and encourage discussion about it. Take the idea of the American Presidents’ heads sculpted into the mountainside at Mount Rushmore one step further – bring them to life. Take a leaf out of Shakespeare’s play – make the wall talk. Doing this clarifies differing perceptions of the boundary and adds to the understanding of its characteristics and purposes. This in turn helps us better manage it and work with and through it; it helps us use its characteristics to our advantage.

The term ‘stakeholder’ is currently used very glibly. It originates from the time in the old wild – west when potential homesteaders had to race each other across the plains in order to be one of the first to plant a stake into the ground signifying their ownership of what was previously un-owned land (Native Americans not withstanding).

Now think about this for a moment. It is not just a matter of undertaking a hazardous race and risking life and limb, but of running the risk of gaining nothing as a result; of staking everything you have on just a chance; of selling up all your possessions and travelling at least halfway across a continent to take part in a race, the outcome of which is uncertain. Now think about the term stakeholder again. It now has a bit more resonance does it not?

A lot of boundaries, physical or abstract, visible or invisible have an original stakeholder – someone who perhaps with great effort, personal risk and commitment has driven the original stake hard into the ground. From here the boundary has evolved and grown.

Sincerely and explicitly going out of your way to find and show respect for these original stakeholders and their efforts and sacrifices gives them the acknowledgement due to them and also confirms your acceptance of the worthiness of the boundary’s original purpose or function. This approach is much more likely to get the stakeholders on your side and positively assisting you in making contact with the boundary, crossing over it or otherwise generally managing it.

In Washington there is, to my mind, a very effective sculpture that depicts an invisible emotional boundary in a very physical and visible way. A long black scar of polished stone gives the impression of having been rammed into the earth, to such an extent that it has forced its way under and into the ground. On the stone are the names of all the Americans who died during the Vietnam War. For me the black scar of stone depicts a boundary made up of grief, loss, anger and perhaps guilt. A boundary that uncompromisingly cries out that it must never be crossed again without very good cause indeed.

Making invisible, abstract boundaries visible, even perhaps physical can enable us to understand them better, thus improving our ability to manage and deal with them effectively. So, if you sense an invisible boundary draw a picture of it, or attempt to describe it in physical, visible terms; perhaps even try to represent it physically.

Groups of people have found it useful to draw or sculpt the way they perceive themselves and their relationships. Families, work teams, organisations and institutions have all benefited from this approach. Vague feelings have been made clear and specific and previously invisible, unnoticed or unacknowledged boundaries have been identified.

When we can see a boundary and name it, we can begin to make contact and manage our interaction with it to our own and others’ advantage.

When travelling by car we sometimes see the term ‘Turn Pike’ used to describe a particular road or turning. This originates from the practice long ago of having to pay a soldier or guard stationed at particular points along a road to literally ‘turn their pike’ (a long spear type pole) away from you and allow you to pass by. This was a generally accepted custom and it still has relevance today. There are many different tolls payable for crossing over a boundary. Some tolls involve paying money. Some of them involve testing of some kind (examinations to gain entry to certain professions for example). Some of them are more subtle and non – monetary: a person may be expected to lower their status in relation to those already on the other side of the boundary; they may have to lose some personal kudos or credibility (embarrassing initiation ceremonies); they may be expected to swear loyalty; to put some of their own personal likes and dislikes on the back burner.

Find out in advance what the toll is, whether the currency is right for you and the exchange rate worth it.

Do not, however, overlook the possibility that those patrolling the boundary may well be prepared to pay you a kind of reverse toll for crossing it. Sometimes it is in the interests of those that own the boundary to allow movement through it, and they may be wiling to offer inducements of some kind to encourage this: money, enhanced status, knowledge and ideas, valuable and differing viewpoints and perceptions.

Many boundaries have rituals associated with them: the simple greeting at the front door, the formalised aggressive posturing that occurs on some national boundaries (that between India and Pakistan comes to mind), the deeply symbolic acceptance into a religious order.

These boundaries and many more can be encouraged to remain permeable, evolve and change through the identification and transformation of the rituals associated with them. Good examples can be found in the transformations that have occurred and are continuing to occur within some areas of the Christian faith: changing the language of the mass from Latin to English; introducing marriage blessings for those previously divorced; ordaining female vicars. These changes and others transform the central rituals that define the boundaries of the Christian faith – what is and is not identifiable as Christian. These transformations are designed to allow the boundary between Christianity and the rest of the world to remain fluid, open and actively manageable. They are designed to encourage people to make contact with the boundary and pass through it more easily.

Find out the rituals relevant to the boundaries you come into contact with. Then think about how they could be transformed to enhance their management and the flow through, in and out of them. Effective travelling salespeople have long known this to be a centrally important skill. Once you open the door he or she will observe your ritual greeting -the way you habitually greet a stranger, and will take his or her cue from there. They will note the form of words you use and mirror and shape them to their own needs. They will note the amount of eye contact and other body language you use and build that into their physical responses to you. If you smile they will smile back and tell you, ‘Yes! This is your lucky day!’

Boundaries usually have rules associated with them: shops are open or closed at particular times; there are customs procedures for crossing into foreign countries; ground rules for participating in meetings; procedures for making appointments; unwritten rules of etiquette for entry into certain fashionable or exclusive circles.

Find out what the rules are so that you can follow them if you wish, but also ask what would happen if they were broken. Would the management of the boundary be made more effective if some rules were removed or changed? It is worth asking this question, as doing so will help stop the boundaries you encounter forming into immovable, impenetrable barriers (or at best embarrassing relics of the past).

The world of work is a good example here. For many years going to work had the following rules: travelling in, clocking on and/or spending time at the workplace and getting paid for it. Over the past decade or so these seemingly unbreakable rules have been questioned, challenged and in some cases broken. The rule of office attendance has been questioned and now some people are allowed to work from home. The rule of paying for time spent has in some instances been replaced by paying for tasks achieved or products made.

Questioning some of the accepted boundaries of what does and does not constitutes work - where it can happen, what is paid for – has begun to help people and the organisations they work for better manage the boundaries between work and the rest of life, enabling them to be more flexible, productive and effective overall. (Although admittedly there is still some way to go before the majority of people and organisations realise the advantages.)

The Romans, as well as being barbaric conquerors, were also great engineers. When they came across what was seemingly an impenetrable barrier they would not treat it as such. They would instinctively see it as a boundary that could be bridged or managed. They did this by looking at the characteristics of the obstacle in their way and asking how these could be used to help bridge the gap between one side and the other – the rocks on either side of the boundary may have aided the construction of a bridge for example. If the obstacle could not be totally overcome then they would look for other ways to manage it or turn it to advantage: the natural gradient of the land may have aided the flow of water in a certain helpful direction; a sullen, apparently unyielding rock face may have possessed fault lines that if prized apart would reveal an amphitheatre set in stone (from silent rock face barrier to a stage boundary of rich communication through the application of informed observation and focused skills).

When presented with an obstacle first assume it is a boundary that can be actively managed. Then identify its characteristics and look for ways in which these can help you manage, make contact with, flow through or bridge it.

An effective illustration here concerns our reactions to rules and regulations. Sometimes they can frustrate us so much that they become virtually impenetrable obstacles in our minds. But if we open our minds up and look for ways in which we can use these rules to our best advantage, then the problems invariably diminish and become manageable. Over time we may even begin to enjoy finding out the ways in which the previously perceived as impenetrable rules can help us bridge the gaps, make the contacts and achieve the results we need.

Any one who has ever played complicated computer games will recognise this process. At first the rules and various functions and key combinations are baffling, but as we become familiar with the terrain of the game, the way it operates, we begin to see how we can use them to our advantage and overcome the various obstacles in our way.

Most boundaries we are likely to encounter are not unique. There will usually be other boundaries that are similar to it around somewhere. Search these out. How have they been managed? What has worked? What has not worked? Why? If you experience difficulty understanding or gaining access to an area or organisation, find out who has had to do a similar thing. Find out what they did and what you can learn from their experience. What learning and approaches can be applied to your own specific situation?

This can lead to new perceptions of the boundary, and these can help uncover some surprising and creative ideas for managing it effectively – for transforming it into something more helpful.

Consider whether the word boundary needs to be used at all. Could it be replaced by such words as: meeting or contact point, protective shield, safety net, bandage, moat, warning sign, welcome sign, quarantine, firewall, supporting structure, neutral zone, or refuge and reserve (like some hedge rows and motorway sidings within and upon which some animals survive). Each of these words and phrases has different connotations – different colourings of meaning and understanding. Each colouring of meaning could potentially transformation your perceptions of the boundary, so greatly influencing how you decide to manage it.