Guest Editor – Iain Boomer
Setting boundaries can create a positive and productive environment. We share some tips to keep your lines in balance.
Learning professionals are inherently service-oriented individuals. We derive satisfaction from witnessing the growth of organizations and individuals alike. Our passion lies in solving the intricate puzzles of how people prefer to learn and determining the most effective pathways to facilitate their learning journeys.
In my extensive 16-year experience coaching and developing learning professionals, I have observed that many of us, including myself, have at times made concessions to support brand teams, fulfill leadership requests or meet departmental needs ahead of our own. These concessions essentially represent our boundaries.
This observation leads me to consider the following developmental priorities for our team members and colleagues: Should our coaching efforts first focus on developing performance consulting, a cornerstone of learning professional competence and skill, which fosters critical thinking and the mindset required to become strategic learning consultants? Alternatively, should we prioritize coaching for the development and communication of healthy boundaries, ensuring that we possess the essential skills to cultivate a healthy and intentional mindset and foster positive relationships?
Defining Boundaries
But what exactly are boundaries? A boundary is an imaginary line that demarcates one person from another. It serves to separate physical space, emotions, thoughts, tangible and intangible aspects, needs and responsibilities from those of others.
Boundaries effectively communicate to others how they can interact with and show respect toward us — what is deemed acceptable and what is not. In the absence of boundaries, individuals may exploit us because we have not set limits regarding how we expect to be treated.
Consider these examples of boundaries:
- Physical boundaries include designating your office space or expressing discomfort with physical contact, such as handshakes or hugs.
- Emotional boundaries pertain to how others treat or interact with you, whether it be respectful or disrespectful behavior in private or in the presence of colleagues.
- Physical and mental boundary examples involve setting limits on working hours, even during weekends or vacations, or managing client or patient loads to prevent exhaustion.
- Mental boundaries are closely tied to our beliefs, values, cultural norms, ethics and standards, reflecting a desire for a workplace culture that treats employees and clients with respect and dignity.
Over time, the absence of boundaries can lead to compromised well-being, resulting in increased mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, as employees struggle to cope with the demands of an imbalanced work environment.
Why Boundaries?
Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries in the workplace is fundamental to creating a positive and productive environment, benefiting both employees and the organization. Here are key reasons why boundaries are crucial in the workplace:
- Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Setting boundaries helps employees differentiate their professional and personal lives, preventing burnout, stress and diminished overall well-being.
- Preventing Burnout: A lack of clear boundaries can lead to burnout, characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion. Boundaries enable employees to manage their workload and allocate time for rest and self-care, ultimately enhancing performance and job satisfaction.
- Improved Focus and Productivity: Clear boundaries allow employees to concentrate on tasks without interruptions, knowing when and how they can be reached for work-related activities.
- Enhanced Communication: Well-defined boundaries promote effective communication by setting expectations for communication methods, response times and availability, thereby reducing misunderstandings and enhancing collaboration.
- Respect for Personal Space: Boundaries demonstrate respect for individual preferences and personal space, fostering a culture of mutual respect among colleagues and supervisors.
- Reduced Conflict: Clearly defined boundaries minimize workplace conflicts stemming from role ambiguity and unmet expectations, ensuring that everyone understands their responsibilities and limitations.
- Professional Growth: Boundaries empower employees to advocate for their needs and set limits on tasks aligned with their job descriptions and career goals, facilitating professional development.
- Avoiding Micromanagement: Empowering employees with boundaries encourages ownership of tasks and responsibilities, reducing the likelihood of micromanagement.
- Building Trust and Credibility: Consistently respecting and upholding boundaries nurtures trust among team members and between employees and management, reinforcing the reliability of commitments.
- Sustaining Long-Term Performance: Organizations benefit from employees who can maintain their performance over the long term and healthy boundaries contribute to employee wellbeing, job satisfaction and longevity within the organization.
Boundary Lines
Despite the positive outcomes associated with boundaries, the term itself often carries a negative connotation, overshadowing its importance. Many individuals and teams avoid setting boundaries primarily due to fear, including fears of angering people, disappointing others, appearing difficult or selfish, being perceived as mean or damaging relationships.
Additionally, the fear of missing out can lead to boundary avoidance. The desire for excitement and opportunities may result in over-commitment and chaos. Striking a balance between embracing opportunities and maintaining selectivity in alignment with long-term goals is essential.
Consider that saying yes to a new request often means saying no to something else already on your plate, and vice versa.
Setting boundaries is an act of self-love, even when it may disappoint others, as eloquently stated by Brene Brown. Boundaries are not about controlling others; they are about promoting well-being for individuals, teams and departments. They communicate our needs and expectations, and it’s an act of kindness, not selfishness, to express how we want to be treated.
When a boundary is crossed, it’s essential to provide feedback indicating that such behavior is not acceptable. Boundaries hold no value if they are not enforced with feedback and consequences. While some individuals readily accept boundaries, others may continue to challenge and escalate them.
Setting Boundaries
Embracing boundaries requires courage, particularly to prioritize self-care overpleasing others. Boundaries safeguard well-being and extend benefits to everyone involved.
In our workshops, we establish norms as boundaries, such as a prohibition on cellphones and emails, the expectation of active participation, creating a safe space for open communication and the requirement to speak respectfully to one another. Regrettably, it is less common for individuals or teams to express their personal boundaries and the anticipated consequences of crossing them.
As learning leaders and professionals, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of boundaries in our profession, especially for those entering the field or progressing in their learning careers. We are performance consultants, and the mastery of boundary-setting is integral to our profession — a skill that yields lasting benefits for individuals and teams alike.
Boundaries serve to clarify our responsibilities, preserve our physical and emotional energy, and uphold our values and standards. In contrast, the absence of healthy workplace boundaries is linked to burnout, decreased productivity, subpar performance and voluntary attrition.
Learning the skill of setting boundaries empowers us to prioritize our values and well-being, better manage stress and navigate the complexities of the modern workplace. Identifying, setting and maintaining boundaries are valuable skills, often overlooked in educational and professional settings. It is a skill that I consider essential, and one that I consistently impart to new team members.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to acknowledge privilege when discussing boundaries. While setting boundaries might come naturally for some, marginalized individuals may have to fight for recognition and respect from the moment they enter a room.
I propose that, as a community, we prioritize the development of boundary-setting as a core competency for learning professionals, especially in onboarding and professional development programs. By doing so, we ensure that individuals prioritize self-care, create a safe growth oriented work environment and, in turn, support their teams and organizations.
Iain Boomer is head of corporate learning & development for AbbVie Canada. Email Iain at iain.boomer@abbvie.com or connect with him on www.linkedin.com/in/iboomer.
