Four Steps to Better Work Boundaries

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Want to advance your career? Saying “no” may be the key.

“It’s wonderful to be the go-to person to a point — until you find you’re totally overwhelmed, exhausted, resentful and in a time crunch,” said Susan Newman, author of “The Book of No: 250 Ways to Say It — And Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever.” “Setting workplace boundaries means you will be doing better work and not spreading yourself all over the lot.”

Here’s how to get there:

1. Track your yeses.

You can’t set a boundary you don’t know you have, so watch yourself for a week, Newman said. Where do you say “yes”?

• Do you agree to lunch with that coworker on the day of a major presentation?
• Do you accept another project on top of the eight you already have?
• Do you volunteer to change the printer’s ink cartridge for a harried coworker?
• Do you work on the Saturday of your daughter’s recital?

2. Figure out your priorities.

“Every time you say yes, you’re giving up something,” said Newman. So get your priorities straight:

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