BOUNCE: 7 Practices of a Barrier Buster

One of the things I discuss when I train on the topic of BOUNCE: Building a Barrier Busting Culture, are the 7 Practices of a Barrier Buster.  I want to touch on 3 of the 7 practices we see in those businesses, teams and individuals that Bust Through Barriers and consistently enjoy success.

PRACTICE 1:

They Summon the Will 

Often, those individuals, teams or organizations we might consider to be Barrier Busters are no different than everyone else.  Like you and me, they face barriers; they feel the emotion of not wanting to deal with those barriers; they might even be tempted to avoid Busting Through altogether.   The difference often lies in their ability to summon the will to find solutions, resolve the issues, deal with the setback and Bust Through to success.  

It is rarely the unprecedented innovation of an organization that sets it apart, and more often the sheer will and determination to not be stopped that cause them to rise to the top. The good news is that anyone can stir their desire for success and summon the will to Bust Through.  Consider this truth:

"A lack of will is itself a formidable barrier;

an abundance of will is an unstoppable battering ram." 

PRACTICE 2:

They Develop the Skill

Professional Development is a huge part of business culture today.  Those organizations that Bust Through Barriers to success with regularity find ways to make it more than just part of their schedules, they make it part of their culture.  When it comes to success, the best of the best might admit to the occasional moments of "Luck", but more often than not, they point to the accumulative effect of hard work and personal development.  I have found in my own leadership experience that if an organization is going to succeed on a consistent basis, it is a must to have people on the team that are continuously developing their professionalism and maturity.  In other words, they are getting better and better at what they do and how they do it.  

Barrier Busters continually develop their skill, here's why:   

"We lean on our will the strongest when our skill is at its weakest."

PRACTICE 3:

They Cultivate Vision

Ultimately, Barrier Busters are visionaries.  Not necessarily the kind of visionary that changes the world or turns an industry on its head;  but certainly the kind of visionary that does not get stuck on the barrier.  Barrier Busters lean on their determination to get to success and keep their eyes on busting through the obstacle.  Not only do they do this in the moment - when it's most needed - they also cultivate this vision when things are going smoothly.  They have their eye on issues that are trending, signs of a coming barrier, and they look ahead to ways to solve those issues before they halt progress altogether.  

These are just 3 of 7 Practices I see consistently in those organizations, individuals and teams that are regularly overcoming barriers and enjoying success.

What about you?  How are you and your team doing with these practices?  Follow this link to our blog and let us know - we would love to hear what you are doing to break through barriers.

Lead Strong!

BOUNCE: Building A Barrier Busting Culture : 5 Signs

Achieving success in any area of life is the result of overcoming the barriers that stand between us and that success.  Whether corporate or personal, on a team or as an individual, our ability to move forward in life and career is directly related to our ability to get past the obstacles we face.  And not just the big barriers, but every barrier.

Sometimes we find ourselves stumped by huge barriers that seem to have no solution.  At other times, we can be hindered by the smallest of issues.  Sometimes we miss deadlines because of a major malfunction in a core system, and sometimes we miss a deadline because we did not hear the alarm clock.

Building a Barrier Busting Culture begins with recognizing that success is the result of overcoming every barrier that stands between us and that success.  

My oldest son and I used to stand in our kitchen and toss a rubber bouncy ball back and forth, just for fun.  In an attempt to make it almost impossible for each other to catch, we would try to angle the ball so that it would bounce off walls, chairs, doors; you name it.  We would laugh and lunge as we tried to keep the ball from escaping our grasp.  Sometimes we would succeed and catch the ball; most of the time the ball would careen around and come to rest under a table where we would have to crawl and stretch to reach it.  You see, the path of a bouncy ball is determined by the barriers it encounters.  There is very little that does not, in some way, alter the course of a Bouncy Ball and often quite dramatically.  Bouncy Balls are at the mercy of every table, refrigerator and cabinet that stands in their way.   Even dirty socks can stop the progress of a bouncy ball.

This is the idea behind BOUNCE.  For those who are operating with a Boouncy Ball mentality, life can be just one big barrier.  Every obstacle causes a change direction, slows progress or results in not moving forward.  It doesn't have to be this way.  With some simple adjustments, we can begin Building a Barrier Busting Culture.  Whether it is in our own leadership, on our teams or in our businesses; anywhere we might be encountering a barrier can be an opportunity to become a Barrier Buster.  

When I train leaders on this topic, one of the things I share are the 5 Signs of a Bounce Mentality. While any one of these signs alone may not mean someone is operating with a Bounce mentality, collectively they become an undeniable indicator.  I want to share two of those signs here briefly.

Sign #1: The Problem is Unsolved

Unfinished assignments and unmet goals are always the result of not getting past a barrier.  An incomplete task is then just one of the signs of a potential Bounce mentality.  Somewhere along the way, a barrier was encountered that could not be overcome and a BOUNCE mentality may be to blame.  It is true that problems can go unsolved for a myriad of reasons.  However, all those reasons are defined by one reality; A Barrier was not Busted. As leaders, the next step becomes determining whether or not that is the result of a BOUNCE mentality.

Sign #4: Little to No Extra Effort

Another sign that a BOUNCE mentality may be to blame is a lack of extra effort.  This may show up in incomplete reporting, no new ideas, or the assignment being unfinished for a long period of time.  When there are no new steps being taken to achieve success,  it may be an indicator of a BOUNCE mentality.

These are just 2 of five signs I discuss in great detail with leaders of organizations and teams as I look to help them Build a Barrier Busting Culture.  In the next post, we will look at a few of the 7 Practices of a Barrier Busting Culture.

Lead Strong

Taken from "BOUNCE: Building a Barrier Busting Culture", just one of the topics offered in our 4-week LEADERS LEAD training opportunities.  For more information, visit www.GoLeadersLead.com.