Are rigid job boundaries hindering your team's success? Discover how a 500-year-old house restoration led to insights on collaboration and open communication. Learn why cross-discipline knowledge can enhance teamwork and problem-solving. The conversation also tackles the perils of micromanagement and the delicate transition from contributor to manager, urging leaders to broaden their focus and promote a culture of accountability. Dive into the importance of psychological safety for fostering an environment where shared responsibility flourishes.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Old House, New Lessons
Douglas Squirrel shares how his experience restoring a 500-year-old house taught him about the problem of demarcation among tradespeople.
Workers sticking strictly to their defined roles caused delays and communication issues, unlike the collaborative helpers who knew enough to assist beyond their specialty.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Tech Team Demarcation Fail
Douglas Squirrel recounts coaching a tech person whose strict adherence to demarcation caused a project failure.
The tech person didn't collaborate or take joint responsibility, leading to missed complications and mistakes.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Practice Undemarcation
Practice 'undemarcation' by stepping outside your role to provide useful feedback and help avoid problems.
Help flow information across team boundaries instead of rigidly sticking to defined responsibilities.
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This book, first published in 1989, outlines seven habits that are designed to help individuals become more effective in their personal and professional lives. The habits are grouped into three categories: Private Victory (habits 1-3), Public Victory (habits 4-6), and Renewal (habit 7). The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand and then to be understood, synergizing, and sharpening the saw. Covey emphasizes the importance of personal integrity, effective time management, empathetic communication, and continuous self-improvement[2][5][4].
Is demarcation stunting your business? In this episode, Squirrel tells us about how his 500-year-old house restoration reminded him of dealing with team members whose strict adherence to demarcation i.e. “That’s not my job!” led to mistakes, poor communication and lack of problem-solving - and why un-demarcation is the best route forward.
SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Demarcation: https://www.fordtransition.org.uk/stories/trade-unions-at-ford/demarcation
- Psychological safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_safety
- Seven Habits book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
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About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
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