I hate that setting boundaries in the work place when others have none makes you seem like the bad person!
Especially when you’re new. Sigh. How do you navigate this dilemma?
Like everything else in life, there's a way to say it, and a way to say it. I once had a colleague that thought she was setting boundaries, but instead was coming across as unhelpful, abrasive, and difficult to work with. She would say a version of "no" but not offer any alternatives or work-arounds, so she ended up in stalemates with co-workers and people disliked working with her (to be clear, overall, the company has a very positive and cooperative work environment, so this stuck out like a sore thumb). No one was trying to communicate off-hours or asking for anything beyond her job description. She just had her way of doing things and was highly resistant to anything else. So, it might be worth thinking about how you define a boundary.
Hi there! Curious what you’ve tried so far. Sometimes boundary setting can go south due to the other person’s perception of how the information was communicated.
What has not worked so far?
Can you be more specific about what kind of boundaries you're trying to draw? I ask b/c sometimes simply non-communicative boundaries are possible (e.g. blocking time on your calendar).