#894 wall

Last weekend marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The wall was a barrier between East and West Berlin that existed from 1961 to 1989 and served to restrict movement of East German citizens to Western Europe.

The physical wall stretched for nearly 100 miles and was a 12 ft block of concrete, wire mesh fences, trenches and bunkers.  It was serious business, designed to keep people on their designated side of the border, and keep people from fleeing from communism.  Over 5,000 tried to escape and several hundred died during their attempt.

Today, only about three miles of the wall remains as a memorial, not a blockade.

Think about the walls you have in your organization.  While they are unlikely to be as fortified as the Berlin Wall or engender heroics to scale them, invisible walls do exist.  Are there other departments isolated by a virtual wall?  Are there barriers to free exchange between certain offices or positions?  Does your organization have policies or practices that serve as fences to inhibit flow of communication or information?

The Berlin Wall was a true presence in Germany and its barriers were clear.  Take care that your organization doesn't have walls that are as impenetrable, even if they are invisible to the eye.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source of stats:  Wikipedia