Often working with women a discussion around boundaries comes up. Many women believe they have boundaries, and set boundaries with people in their personal and professional lives. The want to understand why people don’t respect them. I often find though that two things are true:
1-They haven’t really clearly defined what their boundaries are in different situations; be it at work or in relationships at home.
2-And they believe if they communicate them once, that the other person “should” follow them…without push back, attitude, or challenging it.
[Tweet “Clearly knowing your boundaries creates peace in your relationships”]
So first, take a bit of time, even grab a notebook or journal, and write down what your boundaries really are. How do you want to be treated in relationships at work? With clients? From your spouse or significant other? How about with friendships? Maybe even family members like your siblings, parents and extended family?
If you don’t clearly know in your mind and heart what they are, how can you effectively communicate them when you need to? And, it’s more difficult to follow up if you’re unclear in the beginning.
Then second, as you communicate a boundary concisely and assertively, be prepared for push-back. See, it’s not their job to manage your boundaries. It’s your job to manage your boundaries if you really want them to be true. That means you follow up.
