We all understand how important boundary-setting can be for the health of your personal life, but this rings just at true in professional settings as well. Putting guardrails in place for yourself in the office can benefit everyone, and research backs this claim. A recent study by LendingTree found that 57% of quiet quitters said their work-life balance improved as a result of setting professional boundaries.
What’s more, Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence conducted a March 2023 survey of 3,150 people found that more than half of respondents reported feeling exhausted, stressed, and burned out at work. Another 60 percent of employees contemplated quitting because of the toll their role took on their physical, social, and mental health. This runs the gamut, from students in the classroom to the second in command of the free world. Vice President Of The United States, Kamala Harris herself has faced some challenges with her job. Earlier in her Vice Presidential term reports often critiqued her performance and described her tenure as frustrating and dysfunctional.
In November 2021, CNN wrote “Many in the vice president’s circle fume that she’s not being adequately prepared or positioned, and instead is being sidelined. The vice president herself has told several confidants she feels constrained in what she’s able to do politically. And those around her remain wary of even hinting at future political ambitions, with Biden’s team highly attuned to signs of disloyalty, particularly from the vice president.”
But in the time that has followed, VP Harris has demonstrated that not only can she handle the criticism, she can rise above while maintaining healthy boundaries.
Avery Morgan, Chief communication officer at EduBirdie, an all-in-one platform for student needs, shared five lessons we can all learn from VP to assert ourselves in the workplace while still being a team player.
1. Be assertive in communication.
Some experts recommend using using downspeak when making a statement. For example, when speaking your voice’s tone goes slightly down at the end your sentence.
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“Follow Harris’s simple and direct communication approach,” Morgan shares. “For example, during the Vice Presidential debate with Mike Pence, she responded firmly to interruptions by saying, Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking. Use similar phrases to assert your presence in conversations. Set limits with courteous but firm words to avoid being interrupted or silenced.”
2. Advocate for yourself
It can be intimidating to speak up for yourself, especially while in a room with superiors, but it’s necessary when aiming to set the tone of earning respect from your colleagues in the future.
“Harris frequently talks about standing up for what’s right. In her statement on women’s rights, she stated, ‘We will not be silenced, and we will not be deterred.’ Remember to advocate for your demands and rights in the workplace. If you feel overloaded, speak up about your workload, negotiate deadlines, and delegate chores.”
3. Respond to false expectations
It’s important to level set with your employer and colleagues about what they should reasonably expect from you.
“And now for the already well-known saying, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” She used to challenge wrong assumptions. Use this attitude to resist unreasonable requests or expectations at work, and remind your coworkers that before they ask you to do something, they must scan the room for context and determine if you can assist them.”
4. Set specific work-life hours
Much like our VP, many of us are extremely passionate about our careers. With that it’s easy to fall into scope creep, or work above and beyond our normal hours, which can start affecting other areas of our lives.
“Advocate for policies that promote work-life balance, similar to Harris’ focus on systemic change,” Morgan says. “In her Labor Day speech, she underlined the significance of fair working conditions, saying, “We need to build an economy that works for working people.” Communicate your availability and off-hours to ensure coworkers respect your time.”
5. Emphasize equality and respect
“Harris’s talks often highlight the value of respect and equality,” Morgan shares. “In her acceptance speech as Vice President, she stated, “I may be the first, but I will not be the last.” Demand a work environment that values mutual respect and honors everyone’s limits. Address any disrespect or boundary violations assertively but politely.”
