Violating my own rules for productivity this morning, the first thing I did was to open Facebook.
For those of us who haven't figured it out yet, that is exactly the LAST THING we ought to do if we want to get great things done and create epic products. But that's a topic for another post. Not this one.
This post is about the barriers we build.
Did you notice I titled this, "What Barriers Have You Built?" rather than, "Have You Built Barriers?"
That was intentional.
We all build barriers--to business, to open and honest communications, to personal relationships, to feedback--and it is important to identify and demolish them.
So, getting back to my Facebook visit, here is what prompted me to write this today. One of my colleagues, who also happens to be a Facebook friend, posted a link with the short comment, "Interesting read." Those are two of my favorite words--interesting and read--so I clicked the link.
Here is what came up:
I didn't click the link or read the story, and The Washington Post advertisers did not get access to my eyeballs today.
This Washington Post Social Reader "offer" created a barrier between the content (their product) and me (their intended customer).
This is not just a barrier for this one click. Based on my previous encounters with barriers of this type, I will simply avoid Washington Post links in the future so I don't run into this frustration again.
It is not that I am embarrassed about reading The Washington Post or unwilling to share, but rather that I dislike being manipulated.
Whatever their purpose, The Washington Post has essentially--and most likely unintentionally--blocked me from their site. They don't have a corner on the market for words and I can find plenty to read elsewhere.
This begs the question: What barriers have you built?
When it comes to your personal relationships:
- Do you read the newspaper, watch television, or play with your smart phone, tablet device, etc. when you are with others?
- Are you so unwilling to share your time with your kids that you dump them at the babysitter every chance you get rather than allowing them to spend time with you while you run your errands?
- Does your body language or lack of eye-contact indicate that you are disinterested in your spouse, children, friends, colleagues?
- Are your responses terse, angry, unintelligible, or judgmental?
- Are you more interested in telling than listening?
When potential customers visit your physical or virtual place of business:
- Do they encounter manipulative hurdles, such as the one I described above?
- Are they assaulted by pop-up advertisements, streaming videos, flash programs, unwanted music, or annoying sound-effects?
- Do you or your employees ignore them or act annoyed?
- Are they greeted with a cluttered environment, or one that is too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark?
- Are they forced to expend unnecessary effort to find the products or links they are looking for?
- Do you force them to first read and type annoyingly difficult text in order to participate in discussion or submit a query?
- Do their email queries go to an unmonitored inbox?
- Are they tortured by a disembodied voice and frustrating automated prompts in response to their phone calls?
- Is your message difficult to understand because of sloppy writing, improper grammar, or unfamiliar jargon?
- Do they have to struggle to see your content because you've selected the wrong type style, text color, or a busy background?
- Do they have to hunt for assistance or your contact information?
Of course, we can find plenty of conscience-easing excuses for these barriers.
I am a busy person, so I have to read when I am at the table with my family.
I have a lot on my mind, so that's why I don't engage in conversation.
I am an important person, so what you have to say doesn't really matter to me.
You're just one customer and I have others, so I don't mind driving you away.
I have to take inventory, restock my shelves, chat on the phone, or whatever, so I don't have the time or energy to smile, welcome you, or offer assistance.
Good employees are hard to find.
Whatever your excuses are, they are just that, excuses. Excuses are not the same as action and they don't really excuse anything. In fact, rather than excusing anything, excuses only prolong the inexcusable.
Don't make excuses for the barriers you've built.
Instead, take a step back and look at things from the other side--through the eyes of your spouse, kids, friends, customers--and then tear down every barrier you find.
What ideas do you have to help the rest of us demolish the barriers we've built? What works for you? Click HERE to share.
