How do you all *actually* set boundaries at work, especially during busy season? Thereโ€™s a lot of advice out there about making appointments for any personal plans (workouts, dinner, etc.) and treating them as you would work appointments, but then you get the pings โ€œhey we just got comments from the partner on XYZ, can you address them asap?โ€ And pushing back on that for other stuff thatโ€™s not an emergency would get frowned upon. I feel like Iโ€™m running myself ragged - senior if thatโ€™s helpful

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Following. Iโ€™m a senior as well and struggling hard with this ๐Ÿ˜” ๐Ÿ˜”

like

โ€œYeah Iโ€™ll have it back to you shortlyโ€ unless it is a legitimate crisis (aka I wouldnโ€™t do this on the client deadline day)

like

When people first start seeing that youโ€™re holding firm to your boundaries it can be uncomfortable for them. This is a them problem, not a you problem. Eventually these boundaries will benefit those below you and your clients as your team will be happier and your clients will respect you.

like

I usually say Iโ€™m working on other stuff and will get it to them by so and so time. Iโ€™m an associate though

Post Photo
like

With 30 yrs experience Iโ€™d advise you to be honest and tell them that you have a personal commitment. Please do note the client deadline day comment in one reply - ie judgment is critical. Weโ€™re talking about time for you (which is very important) not juggling the multiple responsibilities. Most people will respect you for your honestyโ€ฆ and encourage you. If they donโ€™t, come work on my team ๐Ÿ˜Ž. Good luck

like

Agree with P1, also let your team know of your recurring personal time slots, so they can be mindful as well..

like

Also a senior here, it unfortunately comes down also to the people you work with. To a previous commentโ€™s point if you have things planned, try to do it far in advanced and let the team know about it. Unless there is an actual deadline (hard deadline either for an audit committee, the SEC, or the IRS) than things can always wait and a team can function without you for the time that you need. If it was really something urgent that needed to get done the upper management should jump in and roll up their sleeves. Hopefully your teammates can respect your outside commitments or at least you should go overboard with the communication of when you are available, if you let them know and they donโ€™t know how to work around it, that also speaks to their lack of managerial skills and you have what you need to CYA if they give attitude or worse put that in an evaluation

like

Just be realistic in your communications. Never over promise anything. That's the short and sweet answer.

like

These answers are great assuming you can get the work done in a reasonable amount of time but I typically have to forgo my personal commitments so I can stop working at 11pm instead of 1am because there is so much work it takes working 14 hrs per day and nobody cares. So it isnโ€™t a matter of flexibility itโ€™s a matter of limited hours in the day and needing to sleep, eat and bathe during most of the โ€œfreeโ€ ones.

like

Iโ€™m finding that not giving a lot of details about what my personal plans are seems to help. I keep it vague so there is no judgement about the urgency. Say things like: โ€œI have an important appointment.โ€ โ€œI have something that canโ€™t be rescheduled.โ€ โ€œI have to be out on XX date at XXX time.โ€ The bottom line is that itโ€™s none of my colleaguesโ€™ business what Iโ€™m doing personally. I should be the one to prioritize. I certainly work enough hours to do this without guilt. That said, Iโ€™m not always great at putting personal plans before work things. Iโ€™m still working on it, but this approach seems to be helping me get a little better.

like

I think a lot of it depends on your team. Iโ€™ve had senior managers tell me theyโ€™ll be back because that have to go let the dog out, so I just tell people I have a commitment and will be back in a couple hours and itโ€™s not a problem. As others have said, if I thought it would be an issue I would block my calendar, and just treat it like a work meeting.

Iโ€™m a current senior also and am on both 9/30 and 12/31 busy seasons. I was feeling this exact way so before this 12/31 I purposely signed up for a recurring commitment (sports league) one day a week, and put an ooo up for those times. I communicated it with my team, and they have been encouraging about it.

I think setting appointments work well, so people know your schedule and when they can expect to hear back.

Just be mindful that as the deadline approaches, the schedule might not work so well

Be so good at what you do that people trust you to get stuff done.

Yes set boundaries but also do reasonable boundaries. Like your charge hour goal is 60, then you canโ€™t make plans for dinner for 3 hours everyday. I usually donโ€™t mind as long as someone communicates in advance; things can wait; nothing is that urgent. I donโ€™t work Sundays and I let everyone know that. In order to get there, I work till 12am everyday on weekday. The only Sunday exception would be Tuesday is deadline.

The most powerful possibilities lie within your mindset. Keeping boundaries is going to be a challenge if a voice in inside of you says something like โ€œIโ€™m responsible for other peoplesโ€™ feelingsโ€ or โ€œIn order to be safe, I must be liked.โ€ Thereโ€™s great advice above and in plenty of articles on the internet. The next step is to notice any limiting thoughts and to replace them with something more empowering like โ€œIโ€™m not responsible for how other people feelโ€ or โ€œI must care for myself to produce good quality work.โ€
I also love the song โ€œEnergy Budgetโ€ by Toni Jones. Iโ€™ve had it on repeat for a couple weeks now.
๐ŸŽถ I have the right to tell people what they don't wanna hear in the name of
setting them boundaries.
I also wont exhaust myself on people who ain't listening, i'm done with people pleasing and attachment to making everyone happy with me.๐ŸŽถ
Good luck!

I personally donโ€™t make personal commitments during busy season. That comes with the territory and if I had an issue with that I would have picked a different career. The rest of the year though I just block my calendar, so if I have a commitment from 5-6 I block my calendar from 4.30-6.30.
As long as youโ€™re consistent and keeping up with your workload and deadlines your team will likely not even notice.

They just asked how other people manage it, my busy season is generally a 3 month period and Iโ€™m going on 17 years of doing it without burnout. Not making personal commitments isnโ€™t the same thing as not taking time for myself. I still take time for myself, but I donโ€™t commit plans to other people.

like

Tell them due to covid limiting the sizes and amount of people in the gym, itโ€™s a $25 cancel fee, on top of inflation and no raises, you canโ€™t afford not to go to the gym.

Related Posts

My colleagues are bullying me for being gay. I thought that was against the law. Should I talk to a lawyer?

like

I have a call with a client in a few hours regarding an upcoming settlement conference. I know she wants an analysis but opposing counsel really hasnโ€™t been working on the case or didnโ€™t respond to discovery. Itโ€™s a WC case so the bureau is handling the case and the judgment. He hasnโ€™t been very helpful either. What should I tell the client? ๐Ÿ˜ซ

like

How big of a red flag is it that a company doesnโ€™t have a marketing strategy/plan in place? Iโ€™ve been asking for this from my director but alway get some type of an excuse so Iโ€™m starting to believe there isnโ€™t one. We are a company with over 200+ employees and 4+ locations

likefunny

How do you all balance being professional and emotionally present for your staff? Or do you even show up for folks emotionally as an HR professional?

Iโ€™ve been interviewing recently, and have worn a dress shirt plus workout shorts during the video interviews. New fashion trend? Hope not.

like

Older, successsful FAs: How do you suggest a younger female in the business approach you and talk about joining your team? What areas do advisors like you need help with?

like

Iโ€™ve been working at a firm as a paralegal for 5 years now and Iโ€™m now training to be a lawyer at the same firm.

My colleagues have started shorting my name significantly and have started even using the nickname in front of clients and new starters. Itโ€™s not even a nickname I call myself - only my boyfriend uses it. Should I just let it fly or ask them to please stop?

like

Happy Halloween, my fellow Tech Pros! I love this Holiday, anyone come up with a creative costume to wear at work?

Dress shirt + underwear combo is the new business formal

Post Photo
likefunny

I just left a very toxic work place.
The crazy thing is they were just named the best local municipality to work for. It's upsetting. They advertise a "culture" but don'tapply it. It felt like a used car sales pitch, I was sold a dream but given junk. I am constantly replaying moments. I have read so many books and everything leads to they were the problem. How do I recover from this?

likehelpful

Anyone work at a midsize to big law firm in an office with no other Black people? If you do, how did you end up connecting well with your partners and colleagues?

like

Okay the time has finally come. I was offered a new job! Now for the hard part. I have to give my notice to my boss. I absolutely love my boss. We have a great relationship. I've only stayed at my office for so long because of her. Any words of advice of how to soften the blow?

like

How do you get ahead of it when you think your previous employer may not be giving you a great reference?

like

I always have to answer the phone bc coworker says people have trouble w/ his accent, but he's perfectly easy for me to understand... what gives?

like

Wanting to gift myself a pair of Louboutin's. Due to my more junior level, I feel like I'll get judged if I wear them in the office. Thoughts ladies?

like

Iโ€™ll be getting a shared EA assigned to me soon. Iโ€™ve never had one before. What is the best way to work with an EA so that both sides are happy? What should I be doing and what support is realistic to except?

like

At my last workplace, I had to follow up with an HR person six times to get something. Is it rude when I went up to her in person to check in again she literally told me โ€œjust go be busy and come back later.โ€ ๐Ÿ˜ก she also was mad when I took my time for my ID photo (itโ€™s just a picture), because I wanted to look good, but then had to go back and re-do my coworkers because his eyes were closed and he rushed his in comparison? Idk just venting๐Ÿคญ

like

Anyone got burnt by managerโ€™s lie. Is it true that we should never trust a managers words ?

like

Any advice for a pair of shoes/loafers that you can wear out of the office with slacks and also with jeans? Need a middle ground pair of shoes

like

Was just asked if I could solo a call with an angry client and itโ€™s like, I *can* but Iโ€™m scared cuz Iโ€™m just a ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ and I need my parenโ€” I mean partner!

likefunny

More Posts

Hi vis? All the time? Only at night? Not at all?

like

Does Carnegie Mellon Tepper carry any prestige / brand value outside of tech, and globally?

like

I am from Oregon I have been at my place of work for 9.5 years. I am a CMA. With this company I have been a Lead MA, Scheduler, Float Lead, surgery assistant. Basically the go to girl and been there done that. Currently I am Mohs Hisotech. I went to go ask my company for a rise and was instantly denied before I could ask for a raise. I make what I need to make. I make $28.78 and I know others make $30-$31 within the company. What should I do?

like

Amazon Can someone please tell me the level for Job ID 1824160?

Thanks in advance.

Does Amazon have a company who does employee background verification for them ? Or Amazon directly does the background verification?

like

I received an offer from Deloitte doing the same role Iโ€™m doing at Amazon, L&D Specialist. Reasons to stay at Amazon or go to Deloitte?

like

Hi fishes,

BOA - 18 fixed
Mahindra first choice - 21 fixed
Publicis sapient -22 fixed
No joining bonus in these companies

Which one best?

like

Hello. Does anyone know the pay scale range for Program manager II in HR India Org? I am currently an L5 PM with a CTC of 22L and i am not so sure if i will get a hike during this internal transfer (IJP) to HR India org (recruiting side). Appreciate any suggestions :)

Hey Sharks
Anyone from the
Amazon Data Science Team/ Current Data Scientist (domain - Predictive Maintenance,Retail,TMT) that can help me prepare for the Amazon Data Scientist interview. A high level road map may help!!
TIA

like

Just want to share what I learned after trying to commit suicide for more than 100 times in 2 months.
Male, 26, single, family abroad.
1. Being happy does not need a reason. Happiness is discovered.

likeuplifting

Go big or go home. Mega funds only.

likefunny

What is the approx salary band for a Senior Consultant with 5 Years of Experience in @PWC AC Kolkata?

Tech Skills: Guidewire, Selenium,Cypress,Java

Thanks in advance.

like

Anyone have any recs of churches in Atlanta?

like

How do you update home address after leaving the firm?
I have moved to a new address and need to tell EY to send W2 to the new home. Thanks!

like

Anyone here work in healthcare supply chain consulting?

like

Any โ€œstarter kitsโ€ or one-stop shops that would provide requisite services for new opportunistic credit shop

like

How is everyone doing!??? Almost there for 10/15.

like
like

Not much activity in this bowl!

like

Any cool networking events coming up? Online or in-person.

like

Additional Posts in Accounting

Well, ey connect day was pretty chill

like

There's 2 types of seniors: #1 The number on line 10 should be x. #2 What number should be on line 10? Whose budget is blown?!

like

Anybody work in the hospitality/ restaurant sector? I know GT and BDO have known divisions in them. I just can't do my industry anymore (Financial Services)

like

@EY can you expensive uber rides to and from the airport from home?

like

Is there any way to avoid telling your firm where youโ€™re going next during the resignation process?

like

Feels good to get done at 5 o'clock for once!

like

Which client to go with - High profile tech 1st year audit as leading senior, or 2nd year audit international tech? Both private, and I'm senior 1. Heard to avoid 1st year audit at all cost - true?

like

M&A tax professionals - has anyone leveraged their M&A background to get into a top mba program after 4-5 years of work experience and completed a career change?

like

Iโ€™m in real estate tax group and looking for good books about RE fund/investments/accounting during non busy season. Any recommendations? Thanks!

When GDM gives you sass and refuses to accept your reservation request, and the interns are done, so you are stuck having to key that data for the next 10 hours. ๐Ÿ˜ซ

like