Invisible fences

'A pet fence or fenceless boundary is an electronic system designed to keep a pet or other domestic animal within a set of predefined boundaries without the use of a physical barrier. A mild electric shock is delivered by an electronic collar if its warning sound is ignored'.

We were running 'Safe to Challenge' sessions during the week because a survey reveal only a low percentage of people feel it is safe to challenge ways of doing things in the organisation. From the stories people told it seems that they get the equivalent of a mild (or not so mild) electric shock if they challenge current systems, processes and behaviours. Like pets they are confined by an invisible fence to the backyard of 'this is the way we do things': electronic collars are firmly on.

We know we need to take off our electronic collars and turn off the invisible fences because challenge and innovation are the main ways getting to a redesign that will yield efficiencies and increase productivity. (See an article on the connection here). But how to give effective challenge is itself a challenge. Two approaches emerged:

1. Learn how to challenge effectively
2. Learn how to accept challenge graciously and act on it