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.