Creating and Maintaining Boundaries at the Workplace
On average, a full-time working employee, today, spends at least 50 hours a week at work. Given that work has become such a huge part of people’s lives, relationships are bound to be formed and hence a major amount of priority should be given to creating and maintaining boundaries at work because this eventually leads to people being more confident and productive and feeling less stressed.
At the same time, some people might feel that creating boundaries can be risky because they perceive that they might get fired or might get demoted if they speak up, but that is not the case. With clear communication and practice, it can be done. It is important to understand that, when you respect your own boundaries, others will too, because it is you who teaches other people how to treat you.
It is also suggested that its easier to create boundaries when you first start a job, but that being said, it’s better late than never. Here are some ways you can set and maintain boundaries for yourself at the workplace.
Know and understand your own principles & values. For instance, this can mean, knowing yourself and allowing the people who work with you to know that you will not be a part of any unethical practices or will not violate any of the company’s policies, even if it is to genuinely help a friend at work.
Assertive Communication. It is important to clearly define the number of hours you will be working or the timings that you are physically away from work but are available to communicate via phone or email. It is important to be careful about who you share your personal contact details with and who you even add on your social media accounts, today. It is also important for you to understand your job role clearly and to be assertive about what you will and will not do so that you are not taken for granted and are not dumped with a bunch of work that is not your duty. Understand the major difference between being approachable and being assertive.
Be mindful of who you spend time with and what you share with them. Firstly, try and stay away from any sort of gossip. Even if you are not the one gossiping but are the one listening to it, you are equally guilty. Respectfully step away from the gossip mongers and mind your own business. Secondly, we do not realize the fact that people’s attitude rubs off on us, so, be aware of surrounding yourself with motivated colleagues, who respect what they do. Lastly and most importantly be extremely careful of who you share what with. Unless there is someone you know you can really trust at the workplace (after a few months or years of being at the job), do not share extremely personal details about your life. This can always backfire in the form of rumors or can come in the way of your work when it necessarily does not need to.
Do not indulge in romantic or sexual relationships at the workplace. As mentioned, we spend most of our time with the people we work with, hence romantic or sexual flames are bound to be formed. Unless you are serious about it, do not indulge in a romantic or sexual relationship, since it can always turn out to be messy if things go haywire, creating stress and distractions. If by any chance, you are being sexually harassed at the workplace, do not be afraid to report the issue as soon as possible.
Report any sort of Harassment as soon as you can. If by any chance, you are being harassed in any way, including even sexually, at the workplace or anywhere you are on duty or even at an office party, do not be afraid to report the issue as soon as possible. Filing a complaint might seem negatively overwhelming but there are designated people or departments at the workplace to look into issues such as these.
Maintain the right Body Language Up to 93% of our communication is nonverbal. This means that our body language, facial expressions, and other nonverbal behavior is even more important than our verbal content. Be very mindful of what you want to communicate with another colleague. Sometimes our intention might be one thing but the other person might take it in another way.
