Leader Convos: Healthy Work Boundaries

As leaders, it’s crucial to ensure our team members are maintaining healthy boundaries between their work and personal lives. Striking the right balance can boost productivity, enhance job satisfaction, and prevent burnout. In a previous article on our website, we discussed the importance of work-life balance. But how often do we, as leaders, initiate conversations about these boundaries? Many leaders hesitate to engage in such discussions, fearing they might intrude on their employees’ personal lives. However, this is a misconception. Employees appreciate it when their leaders show genuine interest in their well-being and offer support to manage their work-life balance.Starting such a conversation can be as simple as saying, “In our next one-on-one, I would like to learn more about how you think about boundaries with work, or how you are managing your energy at the moment.” This can open the door to a productive and insightful conversation about their work-life balance.

Here are some prompts that could guide the discussion:

• “How do you think about work-life balance? What’s working, and what’s not?” Then, listen attentively and refrain from interrupting.
• “I’ve noticed you’ve been facing some challenges recently. What have you tried to resolve them?” If it seems appropriate, offer your support.
• “I’ve noticed you’ve been working long hours, even during company holidays. What needs to change so you can truly disconnect at the end of the workday?”
• “Is there anything I’m doing unintentionally that’s pressuring you to work long hours? Let’s find a solution together.”
• “Remember, saying ‘no’ is an option, and I’m here to support you. If you could change one thing that would make saying ‘no’ easier, what would it be?”

As we discussed in our article on Radical Candor, investing in a foundation of trust and openness with your team is an important part of your healthy team foundations.

As you hold these spaces for your employees, and welcome whatever shows up – you are designing a healthy culture of connection for you and your team.