Hello readers! My name is Emily Rangel. I am a past NPC intern and now a NPC board member. Today’s blog will focus on “How to Set Professional Boundaries”. As you all may know, November and December are emerging quickly! While the holiday season is joyful and brings many generous donations to the nonprofit sector, Holiday season is one of the busiest times for nonprofits coordinating community events and fundraising campaigns.
Most individuals involved in the nonprofit sector are caring, passionate, and kind. While those are all amazing qualities, they can make it difficult to say “no” when asked to spend extra time on events or to take on additional responsibilities. Forbes magazine published an article breaking down some steps to setting professional boundaries. Read the full article HERE or continue reading for my summary and thoughts!
The first step identified “Setting Expectations” – this could be as simple as identifying your work hours and response time. These professional boundaries are important to set to keep both professional and personal life balanced. I’m sure many of us, myself included, check emails on our work phones on designated days off; however, those days off should be spent caring for oneself and regenerating energy for work days.
Second step “Ask for Help” just as it sounds, we need to accept that we cannot do everything alone. We should normalize asking for help. The third step identified “Knowing Your Role” is understanding your position and importance of your own role. At times, completing a task may require multiple individuals in different roles with different skill sets. The last step is identified as “Just say no”. We need to be self aware when taking on responsibilities. Also we need to normalize saying “no”. It is not a bad word or negative to be realistic with one’s time and other tasks awaiting completion. #Selfcare