Energy + Choice = Power.

• Author: Bunch, Woodrie
• Position: BALANCED BOUNDARIES

Our work worlds are evolving.

With shifts towards hybrid work, sweeping technological advances, ever more global teams, and generational shifts bringing both Millennial and Gen Zers to leadership tables, we are undergoing some serious changes in our corporate spaces. A central theme alongside all this includes conversations about work stress, work/life balance, and how we will manage all the changes. I'm most inspired by the conversations that are shifting into more honest dialogue about what individual and corporate wellness really is--finally, we are having much needed conversations around work boundaries.

It's about time.

We've needed work boundaries for decades. We've tried all sorts of stress management, time management, and efficiency improvers--and none of it has truly worked. It's time to start identifying the crux of the matter: we are doing too much and we need to set some boundaries. The challenge is that the majority of us have never had formal boundary training or even really know the difference between our limits and our boundaries. Within our corporate environments, we don't even know what this would look like.

To start, it's always helpful to have a model to follow, something to ground us and align our intentions as we move forward. This is the model I've used personally and with clients for over a decade: Self-Care + Awareness = Boundaries (SC+A=B).

Another way I like to look at this model is as follows: Energy + Choice = Power.

Self-care cultivates energy. Awareness cultivates our ability to see reality, and as a result, directly impacts our choice. Boundaries are the authentic representation of our inner Yes, our inner No, and all the nuanced answers in between. Power arises when we commit and set our boundaries, because that's how we fully align our values, voice, and actions. Here's why the model works:

* Continuously Strengthens the Self/Individual: Each part of this model (Self-Care +Awareness = Boundaries) strengthens the individual. Resilient organizations are built by resilient individuals. When we strengthen our team members, their work outcomes reflect this strength. Whether that is enhanced creativity, increased engagement, stronger connections and empathy skills in leadership, or the ability to make sound decisions in complex and stressful situations, strengthening the individuals who run our organizations is always good business.

* Simple b Deepens Through Application: The strongest tools are simple to follow...