If you lead people you likely find yourself saying things that establish a boundary for your team.

You might establish a time boundary or a minimum level of scope. You might tell them how to do the job. You might even tell them who they can and can’t work with.

There are many ways you can establish boundaries.

Take, for example, deadlines. Deadlines are almost always artificial. My evidence of so many being artificial? Think of all of the deadlines that are missed. How many of those missed deadlines caused any problems?

Often deadlines only add unnecessary stress, lower quality, and stifle innovation.

Boundaries are necessary.

The next time you’re going to establish a boundary for your team, ask yourself what unintended impact the boundary might create.

Better yet, why not ask your team to help form the boundaries.

You’ve got this.