Does this sound familiar? A team member texts you on Sunday to complain about another team member. Two employees want to talk to you as soon as you arrive at work before you’ve had a chance to put down your purse or backpack. Every time a piece of office equipment isn’t working properly, a client service representative wants you to fix it.
If you find yourself constantly responding to hospital problems or complaints-even after hours-then you likely need to set healthy boundaries with team members so you can avoid the pitfalls associated with unhealthy helping.
What is a boundary?
A personal boundary is one you set for how you want people to interact with you. It isn’t a means to control another person. You don’t control someone else-they can do what they want or choose to do. But someone else’s request is not your demand. You don’t have to comply or take action. Boundaries are important in the workplace because they focus people on what you want them to do differently. They also help set expectations and create structure that promotes accountability, well-being, fairness, and empowerment.
How To Set Healthy Boundaries With Employees
Be clear about what your boundaries are and talk to the team, so they understand the reason for established protocols and procedures. Be clear about the process team members need to follow to respect your boundaries. Let’s say, for example, you set specific times to meet with team members who want to talk to you. Inevitably, someone will come to your office or try to start a conversation about a non-urgent matter outside your “office hours.” In this case, it’s imperative to let the employee know you can talk to them during the designated time period.
Tip: If you get bombarded by questions when you walk through the door you can say:
“Great to see you. Good morning.” Then direct them to another time if the situation isn’t urgent by saying: “I’d be happy to talk about/help you with this. Here’s what works for me” or “Let’s talk about this right before or right after lunch.”
Be mindful to limit calls, texts, and emails after hours or whenever you aren’t working. You can’t relax and recharge if you’re responding to hospital inquiries. To set a boundary, inform your team when it’s acceptable to reach out and when you need them to wait until you return to work.
Tip: Simply ignoring a text won’t correct unacceptable behavior. While you can’t control someone else, you can talk to team members who violate your boundaries and remind them it’s unacceptable to contact you after hours unless it is a situation that needs to be addressed immediately. This conversation may also help you uncover motivations about an employee’s behavior.
You will need to train and empower team members so they don’t always interrupt you and can take action when you aren’t present. For example, it makes sense to train multiple team members how to troubleshoot problems and find a solution for small equipment malfunctions.
Tip: Don’t just tell the team to check a manual or ask them “did you try….?” when they want your help. Instead, proactively set up a training session and let them have hands-on experience with how to take care of equipment including knowing who to contact if it needs repair.
If you want to read more about how to be a successful manager, see Chapter 1 in my book Leading and Managing Veterinary Teams.
