Boundaries are what keep you safe from the behaviours of others. How safe are you?
One of the things I had to learn early on in my business was to be able to set up boundaries. I sometimes found this difficult and challenging as it went against my helping and supportive nature. What I learned was that in order to be able to effectively help my clients I had to have the space to do that. That meant setting boundaries for individuals who tended to drain my time and energy. Getting clear and focus was the key.
What exactly are boundaries?
Boundaries are like imaginary lines we draw around ourselves to protect what’s important to us. They are about what we do not allow others to do to or around us. Everyone’s boundaries are unique to them and what is important to you may not be important to someone else. It is a very personal journey.
What are the benefits of having boundaries?
When you have healthy boundaries in place you will attract those people who have similar respect for themselves. They understand and respect other people’s boundaries. You will have more room to learn and grow when you are not being drained by other people’s energy. You will have more confidence as a result of setting boundaries as they will help define who you are as a business owner.
Why are boundaries important to running a business?
There are several reasons. When you are working from home family and friends may take your work as serious and feel it is okay to interrupt or make requests of you when you are working. Clients may feel they have access to you anytime they call you regardless of business hours or other commitments (be careful of too many last minute requests). They may not respect you as a peer treating you as less than. You will end up attracting needy and disrespectful clients into your practice and not your ideal clients.
Boundaries will help you make the shift from employee to entrepreneur.
What do I need to know about setting boundaries?
When setting boundaries you first need to decide what is and is not acceptable behaviour for you. Only you will know what this is. You will then want to set the boundary much larger than you need. For instance if the behaviour you are no longer willing to tolerate clients taking advantage of you then the boundary would be clients must appreciate what you do for them. And it is a must!
How do I ensure my boundaries are respected?
Only you can protect your boundaries however communication and education are the keys. Don’t expect people to just understand what your boundaries are. Explain to them what the boundary is and what the acceptable behaviour is around that boundary. Be very gracious when doing this speaking with a neutral charge to your voice. Also learn how to say no!
Setting and protecting your boundaries is a learning process. At first it may be very awkward or you may extend your boundaries too far. With time, practice and fine-tuning your boundary work it will become a very natural experience for you and the rewards are tremendous!
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Mary-Lou Ashton successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at VATP.
