Why Setting Boundaries is the Key to Success

How to achieve work-life balance and avoid burnout

You want to make a good impression, you want to ‘be there’ for your team, you want to spend time with your family, and you definitely want to do the best job you can.

But if you do all this won’t you end up saying ‘yes’ to everything your boss (and others) ask you to do, running around making sure your team is happy, trying to make sure that you are always around when your family need you, and spending hours dotting i’s and crossing t’s so that your work is perfect?

Not if you carefully and successfully set and manage boundaries and expectations. By doing this you can still succeed in everything you want but have a healthy work-life balance at the same time.  Get into good habits at the beginning of your managerial career and they will serve you well as you progress.

Easier said than done?  Use the following tips to help you set those boundaries.  By mastering this talent you can still build strong relationships, based on trust, with your employer and team. Setting reasonable boundaries may sound selfish – it may even appear that way to others initially but stick to them consistently and not only will people know exactly what to expect, but they will confidently rely on and trust you, and respond accordingly.

1.    Clarify expectations: This will range from the day to day e.g. normal working hours, how and when people can expect you to be available.  To the specific e.g. be clear at the start of a task about the standard of work that will be produced – this will vary from task to task and the factors that affect it e.g. deadlines, reliance on others etc.  Sometimes quality will have to be sacrificed for the sake of time, by being clear the pressure to be perfect will be reduced.  Be accountable for working in line with agreed/known expectations.

It’s not just about the manager – The Chartered Management Institute amongst many, recommend that managers agree clear and achievable goals with team members – when people know what’s expected of them they are more likely to achieve.  Making Smart Objectives Unique to Your Team - CMI (managers.org.uk)

2.    Manage priorities: It’s not unusual to find that there are several tasks all vying for attention – what to do first?  It’s easy to underestimate how long a task will take, or overestimate capacity, so err on the side of caution.  It can also be difficult to say “no” to something, especially if someone more senior is asking.  With each task understand its priority compared to everything else – if there aren’t enough resources, or there are several tasks that appear to have the same level of urgency/importance then ask.  Once priority is determined stick to doing things in the right order.  If there is pressure to take on something additional remember tip #1 and be clear how that impacts the ability to meet other commitments – don’t be tempted to take something on that would mean exceeding boundaries, without agreeing that something else has to give. This interesting article will give you some tips on how to manage your priorities. Priorities Management in 2023: Best Practices and Tips (everhour.com)

3.    Allow time for breaks: Schedule a lunch break each day – if possible get away from the normal work environment.  Allow yourself short breaks through the day, move around, drink some water, or perhaps complete a quick non-work task. There are several benefits, for the individual and the business.  The break will not only reduce the likelihood of burnout, but can often stimulate fresh ideas, or help unblock a barrier. The Importance of Taking Breaks - The Wellbeing Thesis

4.    Negotiate: This is strongly linked to clarifying expectations. It’s not uncommon for someone to pass on a task at short notice – with their own perceptions of the standard of work that can be produced.  In these circumstances determine what’s most important – the deadline or the quality. If the deadline is crucial negotiate on quality, if quality is the top priority negotiate time, don’t fall into the trap of trying to produce the best quality work in less than sufficient time. Agreeing to time and high quality when achieving both is unrealistic given the two parameters will usually result in working extra hours, and greater stress. If this is allowed to happen on a regular basis it becomes the expected norm.

5.    Use Technology:  In some respects technology has brought more stress into our lives as we are either expected, or feel that we need to be, ‘available’ 24/7.  But it can be used to your advantage. Turn-off work devices/notifications outside of agreed working hours (including lunch breaks).  Avoid checking emails before or after work.  Being clear about availability, and only responding to communications in working hours quickly sets a boundary.  People will still make contact outside of this – but will not anticipate a response until you are next available. If focusing on a particular task use out of office responses to inform people you will get back to them later – OOO isn’t just for holidays! It’s also important to think of setting technology boundaries in our personal lives Mindfulness Tips for Technology: Setting Boundaries With Screens - Thrive Global

6.    Clear Communication: All of the above is only going to be successful if the boundaries are communicated clearly, assertively, and consistently.  This doesn’t have to be confrontational.  If something crops up that is outside limits a short explanation of the situation, followed by a proposal as to how the request can be accommodated within boundaries should suffice.  Negotiation may well play a role in these sorts of discussions.

There will always be the odd occasion where something crops up that might challenge your established boundaries, and for specific reasons they will be exceptions.  How flexible you are with your boundaries is for you to decide – but too many exceptions will become a new boundary.  There might be layers of boundaries – team members may be able to contact you outside of normal work hours – but no one else.  Focus time may not be interruptible, except in specific circumstances etc.

A good manager will lead by example, and by setting boundaries you should encourage your team to do the same. You may go through a period of experimentation, finding out what works best, and what can be reasonably enforced. It all sounds a bit formal – and as we are talking about boundaries and rules it can be – but really it’s mostly about looking after number one!