Even Melinda Gates sometimes needs career advice! And who does she turn to? None other than Warren Buffett.
Almost two decades ago, the American investor and philanthropist gave Melinda French Gates a piece of career advice, Melinda herself confesses – she has never forgotten it.
The ‘important’ advice!
Melinda French Gates told LinkedIn News interview on Tuesday, “Warren Buffett once said to us … ‘Find your bullseye of what you’re working on and let the other things fall away. You’ll feel better if you keep your talents in that bullseye and keep working on those issues, and you’ll feel less bad about letting other things go,’”
She also added, “And I think that’s true.”
French Gates revealed that she received that advice from Buffett during the early days of the Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organization she co-founded with ex-husband Bill Gates in 2000.
Buffett, the billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, served as a trustee and major donor to the Gates Foundation from 2006 to 2021, helping drive the organization’s environmental, economic, and humanitarian philanthropic programs.
By 2022, Buffett contributed more than $36 billion to the foundation, in addition to “the gift of time and advice,” Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman wrote on the organization’s website.
French Gates admitted that she currently considers Buffett’s words to be a cardinal rule for setting boundaries at work.
Without boundaries, you risk getting bombarded with requests to take on extra work, favors from colleagues and other distracting duties — keeping you from getting your other work done, and often leading to stress or burnout.
Setting the boundaries!
French Gates added that spending your time effectively sometimes means giving a firm ‘no’ to projects that seem difficult to turn down, or even requests from loved ones. She said, “I have learned that saying ‘no’ early is important. If you know it’s a no right away, don’t linger on it, just say no. The clarity helps you and it helps them.”
To no one’s surprise, Buffett agrees to French Gates. He was quoted as saying in author James Clear’s 2018 bestselling book “Atomic Habits”, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”
How to set boundaries at work?
Setting boundaries at work involves defining limits on your time, energy, and workload to maintain a healthy work-life balance and prevent burnout, which can be achieved through clear communication, prioritizing tasks, and learning to say “no”.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of setting boundaries at work:
Understand Your Priorities and Values:
Identify your personal and professional priorities and values.
Consider how your values might have shifted over time.
Determine what’s truly important to you, both personally and professionally.
Define Your Limits:
Hard Boundaries: These are non-negotiable and should be adhered to consistently.
Soft Boundaries: These are flexible and can be adjusted based on circumstances.
Examples of boundaries include:
Time Boundaries: Defining your work hours and sticking to them.
Communication Boundaries: Setting expectations for when and how you respond to emails or messages.
Emotional Boundaries: Protecting your emotional well-being by setting limits on the amount of stress you allow work to cause.
Physical Boundaries: Maintaining a clear separation between work and personal life, such as having a dedicated workspace or not working from bed.
Communicate Your Boundaries Clearly and Confidently:
Communicate your boundaries to your manager, colleagues, and anyone else who needs to know.
Be direct and assertive, but also polite and respectful.
Explain why you need these boundaries, which can help others understand your perspective.
Use clear and concise language.
Consider using digital tools to help communicate your boundaries, such as out-of-office replies or status updates.
Practice Saying “No”:
Learn to decline requests that would negatively impact your work-life balance or exceed your capacity.
Start with small “no”s and gradually build your confidence.
Practice saying “no” in a way that is firm but not rude.
If you’re unsure, ask clarifying questions to understand the request and its implications.
Delegate Tasks When Necessary:
If you’re overloaded, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to others.
Talk to your manager and colleagues about your workload and potential for delegation.
Ensure that the delegation process is clear and that everyone understands their responsibilities.
Take Time Off:
Make sure to take your vacation time and breaks when needed.
Avoid letting vacation time accrue and expire.
Use the time you’ve earned to recharge and de-stress.
Respect Others’ Boundaries:
Just as it’s important to set your own boundaries, it’s also important to respect the boundaries of others.
Be mindful of their needs and expectations.
Avoid crossing their boundaries, whether they are physical, emotional, or communicative.
Be Consistent:
Once you’ve set boundaries, be consistent in enforcing them.
Don’t waver or compromise on your boundaries unless absolutely necessary.
This will help establish clear expectations and ensure that your boundaries are respected.