I’m back again with another entry in our “boundaries” series. This time we’re talking about the man.
If you work for someone else, which means you are not the commander in chief, I need you to take the next 10 minutes and read this article.
Not for me… but for you.
First let’s go over again, what a boundary is in the context of this series. It’s a set of conditions put in place to preserve the quality of either your life or your relationships. Your boundaries are the explicit or implicit requirements of others in relation to you. When others know your boundaries, they know what they can expect from you and what they cannot.
As an employee, you must have boundaries that protect areas of your life such as your time, your energy, your health, and your finances. I’ll explain.
Employees are the people that execute a business or organization’s plan of action. Without its employees, a business would cease to be. That being said, please know that you are an integral part of your workplace. You are important. What you bring to the table is no less important than what the CEO or owner brings. I say that on purpose because I know it might feel like your role is less significant, perhaps because you make less money and because of the esteem that society has attached to certain roles. I’ve heard you say things like “I’m not the boss” or “That’s above my pay grade”. I’ve felt and expressed some of the same sentiments. But what I want to submit to you right now, is to not go another day thinking of yourself as any less important than someone else in your organization with a different role.
Now, what does this mean Juanita? I’ll tell you what it means.
It means that with your importance, comes the need for a solid set of boundaries to protect it.
I am not giving anyone a pass to waltz into their workplace with a super hero cape on, asking for higher pay, asking to work less hours, or asking to do anything besides be given due courtesy and respect. I’m going to list for you, six JMO best practices that will ensure you can do your work well, receive commendation for it and not be overworked and/or under-represented.
Pull that office chair or whatever y’all got to sit on and come close.
- Work within your realm. In other words, practice only what you have competency in. There’s nothing worse than thinking someone can help you but all they end up doing is hampering or creating more work. Don’t overextend yourself into areas of your work that you’re not qualified for. Not only does it lead to confusion, but it can easily become a liability issue. Don’t do that.
- Maintain your work hours. Don’t make overtime and staying late a part of your routine. Nope. I don’t care what anyone has advised you or what industry you work in. What you’ll find is that most people begin their careers this way. We feel it shows commitment. But all it proves is that you are one-dimensional. If you’re eyeing a promotion or position and you feel that’ll get you there knock yourself out baby. But once you get it, sign TH out when it’s time for you to go home. Stay late and work overtime in extraordinary circumstances only. I’ll tell you why. The best employees are those who are happy. You don’t get happy by burning out. You get happy by maintaining balance in your life. Master you before you ever attempt to master a job. Your goal should be to become a valued employee, not a sacrificial lamb. You are replaceable.
- Keep work at work. Seriously. Don’t take that sh*t home. In other words, once you leave work for the day, stop thinking about and talking about what happened while you were there. I’m serious. “Check out” as if you are checking out of a hotel . This is no joke I am making. Even when you LOVE your job, there needs to some distinction between your professional life and your personal life. Why? For the same reason I stated in boundary #2. Additionally, you’ll need that energy to pour into your personal relationships and your personal interests. As much as you can, try to separate work time from your personal time. If you are on-call or have a work cellular, only use it to accept “calls” (also known as emergencies). Don’t use your phone privilege as an excuse to be a work-a-holic. You’ll be so surprised how much your mental health improves with this one conscious change, and how much it deteriorates when you don’t make it. You will also be surprised how much respect you will gain on the job, by setting clear, fair boundaries for yourself.
- Don’t mix business with pleasure. The more objective you can be on the job, the better. I know relationships might develop organically; however, always know the difference between a person with whom you have a genuine personal connection (who you happen to work with), and someone you have a work relationship with. Your coworkers are there to help you fulfill a purpose and where the purpose ends, so do your relationships. The reason this is so important to understand, is so that you don’t take criticism or feedback related to your work, personally. You also would separate your feelings about a person from their role in your organization. Trust me, I know that there can be some personalities on the job that are difficult to tolerate, but it’s your job only to do your job, while you are at work. It’s not to mend broken spirits. So no I’m not saying you could never find your soulmate or a friend on the job. I’m saying that the only “pleasure” you should pursue from your job is in the “work” that you do. Don’t expect to make your job your home, because as an employee it just is not.
- Take control. There will come a time when as an employee, you must stand your ground. Most tasks that you’ll be asked to do should be well within your job description and you should carry them out to the best of your ability. But there will be requests made of you that will disturb your personal morals or professional ethics, and that’s when you’ll have to say “No ma’am/sir I’m afraid we are going to need to discuss an alternative, because xyz.” There will come a time when you’ll feel taken advantage of and can I tell you? The worse thing you can do about it, is remain silent. You might need to take some time to find the appropriate words to say, but the longer you leave it unaddressed, the worse it’s going to get. It will also become harder to address. So, never allow miscommunications to linger in the workplace.
- Remember that your role is to serve. As you deal with clients of the business/organization, remember that you are carrying out a job. They don’t owe you anything but respect, which is owed to all. Take time daily to remind yourself that your clients are entitled to their feelings, their opinions and their preferences. Keep your personal preferences separate and apart. Carry out your due diligence with a smile, and be about your way.
Go Team!
Intentionally Yours,
Juanita Michelle
LMSW | Personal Mastery Coach | Lifestyle Blogger
Be Bold. Be Free. Be You. Period.