Manufacture Your Day by SETTING YOUR BOUNDARIES

If you are one of my regular readers, you know how passionate I am about the people in the manufacturing industry. I truly care and I am tirelessly working on challenging the status quo.

I have many ideas on how to make things better, and it definitely has to be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

So what is the status quo I am talking about?

Expectations such as

• more
• better
• harder
• faster
• longer

are on everyone’s mind. Does this sound familiar?

Management cares about quarterly results and the bottom line. I totally get it. It’s a business.

However, it is all about cause and effect. Having people work to the point of exhaustion—while being criticized along the way—along with steadily increasing demands, leads to mistakes, quality issues, health and safety concerns, absenteeism, turnover, shipping problems, and more.

There must be a better way, right?

As long as management focuses on numbers, nothing will change. If the focus is on empathy and people, everything will change. After all, who helps to produce the numbers?

Unfortunately, many people have no idea how to set boundaries. They think they have no choice but to conform. Remember, you always have a choice. Always!

Here is how you can get started to become a “boundary setter”:

1. Set your limits:

Make sure that you think about your mental and physical limitations. Name your limitations by writing them down. How much can you tolerate? When do you feel overwhelmed and stressed?  If you think about this, you can stand firm and clear. Plan your first “no” and give it a go.

2. Make self-care a priority:

Please know that saying doesn’t have to be negative or selfish. It can be a wonderful way to put yourself and your health first. If you forget about yourself and don’t recharge your energy, nobody wins.

3. Be assertive:

Assertive doesn’t mean aggressive. Assertive people are confident and able to communicate their needs, wants, and boundaries effectively. Ideally, they do so with a smile.

 

Respect yourself. Respect others. Invite respect from others! Setting your boundaries takes practice. You better get started.

Food for Thought:

How good are you when it comes to setting your boundaries?

Read this article:

7 Tips to Create Healthy Boundaries with Others