Hi John,

Can you be both a friend and a leader to your people? And should you? If you’ve ever struggled to hold professional boundaries with the people you lead, tell us you how you do it in the comments sections of today’s Q&A.

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How to Balance Compassion and Boundaries at Work
by Brittney Maxfield

When an employee has a lot going on personally, it often shows up at work. These past few years have been tough on everyone, and I feel both empathy and a determination to hold clear boundaries. I want to extend grace to my employees, and I want them to meet their job duties and performance measures. How can I extend my sympathies and maintain clear professional boundaries? When I’ve asked before, people often cross professional boundaries and overshare inappropriate or personal information. Please help.

Signed,
Sympathetic

Your question resonates with me and highlights a common challenge for people leaders. It’s relatable because we’re doing just that—leading people, not robots. Despite one’s best attempts to suppress personal challenges and stress, there will be times when life simply wins—when whatever is going on outside of work begins to impact the employee’s work and performance.

For me, that time was 15 years ago when I was going through in vitro fertilization.
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