When you work with others, you're always trying to find that balance of connection and separation. You need your own personal mental space, but you also don't want to appear anti-social. A recent article helps you find that "sweet spot" between the two.


Over at the Harvard Business Review, they looked at the intersection of protecting yourself from other's reactions while protecting them from your reactions. They call these "relationship filters." You don't want your personal reactivity to hurt your co-workers, but you can't ignore your co-workers completely. The graphic shows where the sweet spot is between four characteristics:

Overbearing

Walled Off

Volatile

Vulnerable

The "invincible" employee finds the intersection between those four and sets the relationship filters to allow only some of each characteristic through.


Check out the link for the details of how to set up your own relationship firewall.

The Emotional Boundaries You Need at Work | Harvard Business Review via The Muse