Coaching Real Leaders: How can I set the right boundaries in a new job?
Aug 6, 2024
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Muriel Wilkins, a seasoned leadership coach, engages with Sarah, a professional grappling with burnout from past roles. They delve into the delicate art of setting boundaries, highlighting how personal limits can foster a healthier work-life balance. The conversation reveals the emotional toll of burnout and the necessity of reflecting on one’s definition of success. Listeners gain insights into practical strategies for preventing burnout, emphasizing self-awareness and effective communication as essential tools for navigating workplace dynamics.
Setting clear boundaries and recognizing early signs of burnout are essential for leaders to maintain their well-being and productivity.
Cultivating a supportive work culture that values communication and realistic expectations can significantly reduce the risk of burnout in employees.
Deep dives
The Importance of Setting Boundaries
Setting boundaries at work is crucial to prevent burnout, a topic discussed through the coaching session with a leader named Sarah. Sarah reflects on her previous roles, emphasizing that work became all-consuming, leading to her experiencing burnout multiple times. By choosing to intentionally step back into an individual contributor role, she aims to redefine her work-life balance, focusing on what brought her satisfaction rather than solely career progression. The discussion highlights the need for leaders to recognize the signs of burnout and prioritize their well-being by establishing clear boundaries to maintain health and productivity.
Recognizing the Signs of Burnout
During the coaching session, Sarah articulates several indicators that signal her impending burnout. She shares experiences where the overwhelming amount of work and pressure from multiple bosses left her feeling suffocated and incapable of completing tasks. This pressure ultimately affected her personal life, as her work demanded more time than she was willing to sacrifice, leading to feelings of guilt and inadequacy. The importance of recognizing these signs early in order to make adjustments and set healthier expectations is emphasized as a vital strategy in avoiding burnout.
Cultural Influences on Work Expectations
Examining the cultural dynamics within various workplaces, Sarah reveals how their environments contributed to her burnout experiences. She acknowledges that organizational expectations often led to an unsustainable workload with little regard for work-life balance. Sarah's past roles showed how the lack of communication among leadership and unrealistic urgent demands created a taxing atmosphere. Recognizing these cultural components is essential for leaders to navigate their work environments effectively while maintaining their mental and physical health.
Proactive Strategies for Sustainable Success
The conversation transitions towards proactive strategies that Sarah can implement in her new role to maintain a healthy work-life balance. With focus on creating protective measures, she discusses practical steps such as prioritizing her responsibilities, maintaining open communication about her limits, and creating much-needed space in her schedule to avoid overwhelming herself. By piloting new practices, like establishing non-negotiable time for personal commitments, she aims to foster a sustainable approach to work. Ultimately, Sarah is encouraged to remain aware and accepting of her needs while taking actionable steps to prevent a recurrence of burnout.
Working It is taking a break this week, so we’re bringing you a podcast we think you’ll enjoy: Coaching Real Leaders, from Harvard Business Review. The show takes you inside real-life coaching sessions with veteran leadership coach Muriel Wilkins. In this episode, Muriel speaks to ‘Sarah’, who has experienced burnout in more than one of her previous roles. Muriel investigates the causes of Sarah’s burnout – and points her to new habits that may stop her burning out again.
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