Brief
CEOs must set the tone for work and life boundaries, writes Amanda Richardson, CEO of CoderPad, who provides a “Working With Amanda” guide to others and outlines the need for employees to take action and be direct in their communications. “I like simplicity and directness so please do not sit on bad news, tell everything like it is, push back when things don’t make sense, and be candid,” Richardson writes.
Insight
In 2021 alone, four million people quit their jobs. Every. Single. Month! And that trend has continued. In March 2022, 6.4 million people did the same.
If quitting isn’t the ultimate expression of a boundary, then I don’t know what is. It’s a hard line that says: No more. We’re done. Thanks, but no thanks. You have to wonder, though, what might have happened had their workplaces embraced discussing and setting reasonable boundaries that support healthier, happier people:
fair pay, more balance, work from home instead of a soul-sucking commute, no email expectation in off hours. Maybe we wouldn’t be dealing with the Great Resignation (just saying).
It’s not too late. If you’re a CEO or in a position of leadership, model your own boundaries for everyone and give them explicit permission to do the same. At CoderPad, I give everyone access to a “Working With Amanda” manual. It’s not long – 10 bullets or so – but it is the “user guide” to working with me.
It’s mainly so that people know my rhythms, never feel pressure to work when I do, and to underscore that my family is also very much my priority so my time with them is precious and protected.
Here are some of the highlights.
• I clearly outline when I’m with my kids before and after school (5 to 8:30 – in the morning and night) – and say that I will get back via slack or email after starting the day or post-bedtime.
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