Personal and work boundaries are a limit you set that says, “This is what’s okay, and this is what is not okay.” A boundary is something that you personally honor and respect. It has to start on the inside. If you don’t defend your own boundaries and people find out that you don’t, it can lead to a conflict or frustration in the end. You will also not be setting a very good example for your staff.

For example, suppose one of your work boundaries are that you don’t work past 6pm because you want to spend time with your family. You often find yourself staying late to help people at the last minute solve a problem. As a result, people are going to say, “This is a person I can ask to help me after work hours. Now you’ve set yourself up for workload balance issues as you struggle with helping people get things done but still trying to spend time with your family.

Balancing can often be challenging. In today’s struggling employment environment, many people are shy about defending their work boundaries. The fear is that if you stick to a  boundary, you will be seen as someone who is not really committed to the organization. However, people who work hard and maintain boundaries usually get more respect and better results than people who allow others to take their time for granted.

Restore your workload balance by setting clear boundaries and prioritizing your work. If you do this, you will be setting a good example for your staff.  Support your staff by helping them identify projects/tasks that are most important and those that can be dropped, delegated, or deferred. You’ll be surprised at the positive impact it will have on your employees’ work.

P.S  Check out this powerful handout on the 10 steps to building personal foundation by  Thomas Leonard.