How to Deal With People Who Have Poor Boundaries

A boundary in business is about space. It is physical and mental personal room needed for well-being. Some people exhibit poor boundaries. Ease at Work, an Employee Assistance Program company, says these individuals often view others as extensions of themselves, which leads them to behave inappropriately. When someone in a small business violates accepted boundaries, it affects the company by compromising integrity. As a company owner, you must communicate with the individual regarding poor boundaries to effectively modify the behavior.

When someone on your staff has poor boundary observance, education regarding the behavior is necessary. Penn Behavioral Health Corporate Services says managers need to set limits to effectively guide employees with poor boundaries. Take time to clearly instruct employees regarding such issues as respect for personal space, confidential company information, managerial authority and soliciting loans from co-workers. Make this information a part of employee training, and document it in your employee handbook. Bring in an expert to speak about boundaries in the workplace if you see a need for further education on the subject.

Write up an employee who violates a personal or professional boundary of another individual such as a co-worker or customer. Keep a detailed account of each incident that occurs. Put down only the facts without making assumptions or remarking on feelings. You should not show any bias in your documentation. The information will come from people involved either directly or as witnesses. The account of the accused person also should be included. Keep this documentation in the employee's personnel file.

Meet individually with the employee who has violated a boundary on one or more occasions. Ask the employee if he understands why the behavior violates company policy and how it affects other people. The employee should be prepared for this meeting, because you will have previously asked him to give his account of the incident or incidents. At this point, give him the opportunity to explain his actions and defend them if he believes he did not cross any boundaries. If you still believe he committed infractions, you need to put the employee on an action improvement plan to help him refrain from such actions in the future.

There are cases in which a person with poor boundaries suffers from a mental or emotional health issue that has an impact on his behavior. If you suspect your employee is abusing substances, experiencing an emotional crisis or could be mentally ill, you as a small-business manager should refer the worker for help. Provide an employee assistance program benefit, which assists staff members in dealing with personal issues. Such a program gives employees access to treatment from mental health professionals.