In Shanghai, Lines are Optional. With Our Teams they are Critical

Click on Picture to Watch Video of Riding in Taxi in Shanghai

In business and in life, we have lines to follow. The line between respect and disrespect. The line between Trust and Dishonesty. The line between Right and Wrong. And the line between you and the other cars on the opposite side of the road.

Some of the lines are short while others are quite long. There is a short line between truth and a lie. But there is a long line between honor and justice.

During my trip this fall to Shanghai, China for team coach and business coach training, I learned that lines are merely “optional”. In every way! My first experience was driving to my hotel in a Taxi. At one point I asked my host, “Do you have speed limits in China?” (as I clutched the seat in front of me) Yes, but they are just a suggestion. Then in the daylight I noticed how people walk in the streets with the bikes, motorcycles and cars. Side of street and direction don’t matter. And U-turns are always an option.

The more I watched the movement of people around the city, I thought of how this perception of mine which I called Chaos in Motion, is a similar other to how a business team may function.

The lines we establish or that are put in place for us to follow, are nothing more than suggestions. It doesn’t necessarily matter who put the lines down for us to follow. Whether we follow them is purely a matter of ‘in the eyes of the beholder’. But working within a team, not following the line, can cause a great deal of friction. It can breakdown communication and attack our productivity.

Crossing into someone else’s lane is perhaps the most critical of all. It means that you are pressing into another’s territory without permission and that is a violation of rules of engagement. In a  business team environment it is often labeled as passive aggressive positioning. In a car in Shanghai, it is merely aggressive maneuvering and that with the loudest horn often wins.

But for your team, this violation can be catastrophic over time. And I have to ask, can you afford it?

So what do you do if you find that people on your team have taken the ‘Lines are Optional” mantra to heart? Here are 5 simple action steps to support you in getting back in order.

1. Identify your Motive for Wanting Change. This is key to know what position you are presently speaking from.
2. Speak from a Place of I not U. It is important to focus on your feelings and needs and avoid pointing fingers at the other person. And when you identify your Step One above it makes this part very easy.
3. Ask for what you Want. You can’t ask if you don’t clearly know. So by taking the time to identify what you need and tie it to tangible results, you will have greater impact on the other person.
4. Keep the Circle Small. Go to the person who has crossed the line individually. Express the above three steps one:one this will keep it about you and I vs. You and the rest of the team. If that doesn’t work and you don’t see a change with your request, then consider who you might go to for help.
5. Beware of becoming a Line Judge. If you have found that you are also an offender, then beware of speaking too openly against others at this time. Perhaps a team meeting setting some boundaries and ground rules is in order. Get everyone on the same page first before you become the line judge.

What tips can you share to help others navigate the roadway when people cross over the line?