Artwork for podcast TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective
Understanding Workplace Boundaries with Dr. Nsenga Burton
Episode 17219th September 2024 • TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective • TonyTidbit ™
00:00:00 00:06:55

Share Episode

Shownotes

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/Understanding Workplace Boundaries with Dr. Nsenga Burton

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of 'Need to Know,' Dr. Nsenga Burton addresses the critical importance of establishing boundaries in the workplace. Highlighting two alarming incidents—a worker found dead in her cubicle after four days and a team member left behind on a mountain during a team-building exercise—Dr. Burton discusses how a lack of boundaries and poor workplace culture can lead to dire consequences. She emphasizes the need for self-care, understanding personal needs, and advocating for oneself in professional environments. Additionally, Dr. Burton touches on the true history of Labor Day and its relevance to today's labor issues, urging listeners to set boundaries and look out for their colleagues to ensure a safe and supportive work environment.


▶︎ In This Episode

00:00: Introduction to Need to Know

00:19: Shocking Workplace Incidents

01:39: The Importance of Workplace Boundaries

03:18: Recognizing Red Flags in Team Dynamics

04:38: The True History of Labor Day

05:43: Final Thoughts on Workplace Boundaries

06:32: Closing Remarks

🔗 Resources

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:


🔔 Listen and Subscribe

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

subscribe to A Black Executive Perspective podcast on

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

  1. subscribe to our newsletter
  2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
  3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague


🗣️ Follow @ablackexec

follow us across social media @aBlackExec


⭐️ Follow @TonyTidbit

follow Tony across social media @TonyTidbit


This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email podcast@ablackexec.com .

Transcripts

BEP Narrator:

A Black Executive Perspective now presents Need to Know

2

:

with the award winning hyphenated Dr.

3

:

Nsenga Burton.

4

:

Dr.

5

:

Burton.

6

:

What do we need to know?

7

:

Dr. Nsenga Burton: Good afternoon.

8

:

I am Dr.

9

:

Nsenga Burton and welcome

to Need to Know with Dr.

10

:

Nsenga.

11

:

Today we're going to be talking

about boundaries, particularly

12

:

boundaries in the workplace.

13

:

You may have heard of a couple

of news stories that have been

14

:

going around, uh, very much viral

about employees in the workplace.

15

:

One of which was an employee

who was found four days after.

16

:

She had expired, died at work in a

cubicle and people had gone to work

17

:

and have been to work and no one

had noticed that she was dead in

18

:

her cubicle for at least four days.

19

:

Uh, one person said they kind of smelled

a body and then other people said, you

20

:

know, they just didn't think to go and

check in her area to see if anything

21

:

was wrong because they didn't really

have that kind of culture at work.

22

:

Another incident was of a gentleman who

was left on a mountain during a team

23

:

building exercise for a company and.

24

:

They had climbed this mountain and

he got separated from them and he was

25

:

able to communicate with them, but

they would not give him the information

26

:

that he needed to get back safely.

27

:

Uh, a storm arose, he got

disoriented, got lost again.

28

:

Uh, the markers they had put down

for people to find their way up the

29

:

mountain, they had taken them down.

30

:

Uh, and so he was literally stuck

on this mountain, had fallen 20

31

:

times by the time he was found.

32

:

Luckily he was able to get a cell

phone signal and was able to notify

33

:

police and they came to look for him.

34

:

Not his colleagues.

35

:

So I say this to say, um, as we

have just celebrated another labor

36

:

day, uh, weekend that when we think

about the workplace, there should be

37

:

boundaries that are put into place.

38

:

And you should also consider what you

need out of said workplaces boundaries.

39

:

For example.

40

:

I'm sure the person who went to work and

didn't come home never thought that they

41

:

would be at work and they would never be

found, you know, you know, for four days,

42

:

at least that they would not be found.

43

:

Sometimes you have to really think

about yourself, which your needs are.

44

:

Um, and what is required

of you in your job.

45

:

So, you know, we always want to

aim for the stars and we always

46

:

want to do the best that we can.

47

:

We want to put our best foot forward

and we want to be team players.

48

:

But you also have to think

about the workplace and the

49

:

environment in which you work.

50

:

And you have to really ask

yourself, is it really worth me?

51

:

Is it really worth me having this pain

in my chest or in my arm or in my leg

52

:

every time I come to work and not taking

the time to just go see the doctor?

53

:

You know, sometimes we have benefits.

54

:

Sometimes we don't have benefits.

55

:

Sometimes they are not great.

56

:

But, you know, the number of people who

are keep waiting and waiting and waiting.

57

:

You know, to go to the doctor,

to take the vacation, to take

58

:

the day off on Labor Day.

59

:

I can't tell you how many emails

I got on Labor Day, um, yesterday.

60

:

And I purposely, uh, did not check email,

uh, because I wanted to explore it.

61

:

I wanted to enjoy the day with my child,

my daughter, my family, and my friends.

62

:

Uh, and so I think about that when

I think about boundaries in the

63

:

workplace, we have to have them.

64

:

Um, when you think about the gentleman

who's on the mountains, And he probably

65

:

didn't know, you know, but when you deduce

that the people that you are supposed

66

:

to be working with and you are in a

team building exercise and they are not

67

:

functioning as a team because anyone who

has ever been in a team building exercise

68

:

or if you pledge a sorority or fraternity

or what have you, if one person is out

69

:

of the group, the whole group is out.

70

:

There is no team.

71

:

So the fact that one person was

left behind initially, um, and then

72

:

eventually, and they never went back

to get the person, uh, states very

73

:

clearly that there was no team involved

and there's no teamwork involved.

74

:

If teamwork is important to you,

if collaboration is important to

75

:

you, when you start getting those

flags, uh, you know, those signs.

76

:

Uh, you know, getting left out of

important meetings, uh, maybe, you

77

:

know, working in the team and having

your work presented by others, but not

78

:

getting, uh, any credit for that work

or the person that I'd be saying, Hey,

79

:

Adrian, help me with this presentation.

80

:

We did this that the other, even if

you're making the presentation or they

81

:

can say at the end of the presentation,

thank you, Adrian, for your help in

82

:

getting this presentation together.

83

:

We worked long and hard

to get this, uh, together.

84

:

So if you really liked this

presentation, make sure you share

85

:

some of that love with Adrian.

86

:

It doesn't take a lot to give people

their attribution and their respect.

87

:

And so in closing, what I want

to say is that boundaries in

88

:

the workplace are important.

89

:

If you know the real history

of Labor Day, you know that

90

:

it wasn't a benevolent thing.

91

:

We think about it in a benevolent way, but

it really was over Pullman, uh, workers

92

:

who wanted to have, Better pay, better

benefits, sharing the profits, all the

93

:

things that we're still fighting for now.

94

:

Uh, and actually the president at the

time, Grover Cleveland, uh, unleashed

95

:

the military on them and a lot of

people were killed during the protest.

96

:

And two days later, Labor Day was

enacted in order to quell those issues.

97

:

Um, and really as a PR move for

President Cleveland who had, uh,

98

:

grossly overstepped and had harmed

people who were really just fighting

99

:

for their rights in our democracy.

100

:

All right.

101

:

So if you know the true history

of Labor Day, then you understand

102

:

the importance of boundaries.

103

:

Um, the importance of taking a day off

if you need it, the importance of going

104

:

to check on yourself or saying, Hey,

listen, I have to go to the doctor or

105

:

no, I cannot come in because I just

got over COVID and I'm still exhausted.

106

:

Or yeah, I did have this procedure

and I was off for two weeks, but you

107

:

know, I'm still moving around a little.

108

:

So is it okay if I work from home for a

couple of days until I get my bearings?

109

:

Right?

110

:

You have to put those boundaries in and

stand up for yourself in the workplace.

111

:

Because at the end of the day, if

you end up dying on a mountain or

112

:

dying in a cubicle, they're going

to sanitize your office, send

113

:

your stuff home to your family.

114

:

And start to search for a new person.

115

:

All right, so find your boundaries

stand up for yourself in a respectful

116

:

way And make sure you are taking care

of yourself so that you can be The best

117

:

that you can be and then finally look

out for others look out for others, you

118

:

know Um, if you are a true colleague if

you are a collaborator if you believe in

119

:

the team vision and identity, you know

that One person can't be left out of the

120

:

team look out for your colleagues, you

know Do that so that everyone can have

121

:

a safe and prosperous work environment.

122

:

So tune in next week to a black executive

perspective podcast Have a wonderful day.

123

:

Stay black.

124

:

Stay happy

125

:

BEP Narrator: a black

executive perspective

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube