Boundaries in the Workplace

Clarifying Responsibilities

Boundaries or lack thereof can be one of the biggest personal stressors causing unnecessary conflict, stress, health issues, etc. Lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities (which is essentially a boundary issue) can lead to tension and conflict between employees, leading to reduced engagement and lost productivity. Most organizations have three types of people: the over-doers, the under-doers and third, those that recognize and understand their work responsibilities, their responsibility to their team and the organization and who do their work enthusiastically and willingly. It is the first two groups that have confusion over boundaries and their roles and responsibilities and as a result, one group is resentful and burned out and those in the other group are under functioning, and not contributing to the organizational goals .

Learning Outcomes:

1.    recognize these two different types of boundary problems and the impact on others and the organization

2.    learn what appropriate boundaries are and how that applies in the workplace

3.    identify one’s own boundary style

4.    learn how to address one’s own boundary style and how to assertively address boundary problems as they arise with others.