Why Setting Boundaries Is Important
The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.
Warren Buffett
My first management job was working at McDonald’s back in high school. On a particularly busy Saturday morning the main lobby was completely packed with customers and it was getting close to changeover for lunch. Back then, the kitchen didn’t support all day breakfast, instead, with 15 mins left on breakfast, a large batch of eggs were cooked and the appliances were cleaned and calibrated to start cooking burgers. Once changeover started, there was no ability to cook eggs and you were limited to what had been cooked.
At 11am I was asked to come to the front to deal with an angry customer that was denied breakfast because there were no more eggs. Anxiously, I proceeded to the front counter, ready to put my new management training to use. When dealing with angry customers I compare it to dealing with the 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance).
During denial, I listened to him complain about how unfair his situation was, but when I explained it wasn’t physically possible to cook him eggs, it led quickly into anger. In the anger stage I sat calmly as he hurled insults about the store, its employees, and myself. Saying things like the “real” manager was hiding in the back, and they sent a teenager out to do their dirty work. Since his anger wasn’t swaying my answer, he began to bargain, trying to get the changeover reversed. Again, I denied his request and offered a discount on his lunch which ended with him asking me to get a more “senior” manager for him to deal with. The hardest part of the entire ordeal was the moments leading up to the conversation, because the thought of saying no made me feel sick. But once the words came out, the discussion was much easier than I had imagined.
When you don't set boundaries it leads to:
Confusion : Clients may misunderstand your needs and limits, which can lead to strained relationships.
Loss of Respect: You become more vulnerable to clients who take advantage of you.
Reduced Margins: You might lower your prices to keep clients happy.
Feeling Overwhelmed: You might feel stressed, exhausted, and burned out.
Self Doubt: You might constantly question yourself, especially when a client objects to something.
Setting boundaries helps :
Improve Customer Satisfaction: Clients appreciate a clear understanding of your policies, procedures or challenges.
Build Mutual Respect: Clients know how to treat you.
Avoid Burnout: You can avoid burnout by not running yourself into the ground.
A product manager’s #1 responsibility is to build and steer a roadmap that aligns with their company’s strategy. Setting boundaries and saying no is imperative to being successful in product management. To be a successful product manager you will need to say no more often than yes.
