Confusion around boundaries at ACME Corporation…plus a MollyMoh update!
“That’s a wrap on the week!” Quinn exhaled as they gently put their index finger on top of the laptop to close work at 5:05 p.m. on Friday.
“Ready to see my friends for a great weekend ahead,” they told themselves.
Quinn has been working hard over the last few weeks, putting in 50–60-hour weeks. A brief reprieve is near.
Just before Quinn shut down their laptop, a final email came through from a client. “Ok, let me just take a peek at what they need,” they said, “Ah, ok I can respond to that on Monday, no sweat!”
Little did Quinn know their boss Corey, who was copied on the email, had second thoughts. Quinn and Corey have gotten to know each other a little over the last few months. In general, they get along but have different approaches to work.
Corey, you see, is married to their job at ACME Corporation. Always have been since college. Sharp as a tack, Corey takes a lot of pride in going “above and beyond.”
“I have to work harder than anyone else,” is Corey’s daily internal missive. With that comes a sense of imposter syndrome.
And that imposter syndrome has come at a price. Corey’s had some challenges retaining good talent.
“They’re lazy,” Corey tells themselves as person after person has the audacity — in their mind - to set boundaries. “They’re not going to get anywhere if they don’t give 110 percent every day.”
On Monday morning, Quinn opened their email to get going on the week. They had a restful weekend, but the good vibes ended abruptly when Quinn read an email from Corey.
The way Corey wrote it made it sound like it was gospel. An expectation. A rule.
“Hmm, that’s new.” Quinn thought to themselves.
So, what should Quinn and Corey do from here?
First, I recommend Quinn schedule time with Corey to discuss the situation in real time and the genesis of the note from Corey. To minimize the threat of a potential argument between Quinn and Corey, this should be seen as an understanding session positioned less about the feedback and more around customer service. I’d want to know from Corey, “Has the client expressed concerns about email response time? The quality of work? And if so, to what degree has that been communicated?”
Next, if I’m Corey I need to check myself. Being a great leader means your team clearly understands expectations. It also means respecting boundaries. If you’re expecting your team to be available on nights and weekends, there must be a very good reason why. And those expectations should be made known in the hiring process.
Finally, I highly recommend Corey, Quinn, and their immediate workstream design a workplace expectations charter. Through a closed-door session and as a team, design a charter that emphasizes the benefits of an equitable work environment and establishes agreed-upon expectations. This demonstrates clear leadership and empowers employees to care about their well-being, ultimately reducing employee burnout and turnover.
And now for your MollyMoh update! We’ve been able to get into a normal outside routine with the temperature down. She’s ever attached to an orange ball we throw for her!
