When developing our business we are quickly confronted with something that can feel fuzzy, it’s boundaries. It’s, for example, the question “is this possible or not?”. It can also be “Can I do this or not?”.

When we start to see these questions, they often will feel like restrictions.

When we are building a business, limitations often is the first thing we will want to avoid.

Often out of fear that limitations might limit our chances to succeed.

Even more often, because they hit us unexpected. And when they hit, it feels as if we ran into a wall or have been forbidden to take off.

The feeling is real.

The wall isn’t.

Boundaries are there to help us determine the space from which we can operate. These boundaries can, for example, describe the tasks we will be taking up, or the authority we have to do our work.

By seeing the boundaries we learn what we are good at in that given moment. It helps us see where we can expand our competencies.

By discussing boundaries we can determine with others who will be doing what. It allows us to determine the responsibilities we have as well as which ones others have.

By defining boundaries we can decide for ourselves how our values and ethics are a part of our work. It’s the basis for establishing trust not only with our clients but also with our environment.

Making boundaries visible has the tendency to grow our options and to help us see how to act.