Is There Freedom in Structure?

Posted by Ann Deaton Share Your Voice

I don’t know why, but I have always had a thing for freedom. I love being able to do things my way, to do what I want when I want to. And, of course, the world is not really made that way---what I want to do sometimes gets in the way of what someone else wants, or needs. Still, I usually find many ways to feel free, to choose novelty instead of routine over the course of each day, to be independent. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a new route to a place I’ve been before. Other times, it is changing my mind. Sometimes it’s doing a less important thing before my top priority because that’s what I want to do at the moment. Or I might create something that I have never heard of anyone else ever doing. I love that openness to what could be.

Yet lately, I’ve been noticing an odd kind of relationship between freedom and structure. I’ve been finding myself thinking that sometimes in structure I can find freedom. Weird, huh? But I have to admit that sometimes having a routine and a structure seems to offer me more freedom, more chances to explore and learn. It is as if by following the structure I am free to notice what it brings, and to listen more deeply because I’m not distracted by having to choose what’s next. And the opportunities to deviate from the structure feel just as rewarding as having no structure at all.  

I am especially noticing the value of structure in all kinds of leadership and mentoring roles. I am finding myself asking questions about bosses, parents, advisors, and teachers of all types:

•  How much structure does a new employee need to feel safe, to move forward effectively? How does this decrease as they become more familiar with their role and its demands? Where does the most effective leader turn over the reins, and where does he/she hold onto them for just a little longer?
• What structure do we offer as parents, especially as our children reach adolescence and young adulthood? Even as they say they want more freedom, do they also get value from and appreciate structure as they step bravely forward into increasing responsibilities? 
• When a financial advisor offers infinite freedom in what you do with your investments, how comfortable do you feel? Does the structure of having a set of recommended strategies offer freedom and a sense of choice, instead of overwhelm?
• How much structure and freedom is appropriate in our school classrooms? A Bounce colleague, Jay Markiewicz, shares that offering too much freedom in a 7th grade class creates chaos and indecision. It doesn’t work for facilitator or for the students.  With just enough structure in place, both facilitator and student thrive. 

I am coming to the conclusion that at the end of the day, some guidance and structure creates a sense of safety and the ability to move forward confidently. I still love freedom, of course, and now I see that this can be found in structure, perhaps more easily than it can be found in chaos. How about you? Is there any place in your life you are resisting structure in order to be unique? And, on the flip side, are there places you are so bound by routine that you don’t see a new path? Play a little with freedom and structure today. See what you notice.

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Ann Deaton I am a leadership coach, and Managing Partner in Bounce. I love to coach and facilitate with individuals and systems experiencing significant change and growth. The clients I work with, regardless of their age or position, are talented and creative individuals willing to look with fresh eyes at their challenges and opportunities, and to take action based on their discoveries. As a result, they find that they are capable of accomplishing far greater things than they ever imagined. What do you want to accomplish today? Who do you want to be?