The Happiness Factor : When to Set Boundaries and When to Compromise - Silvia De Dominicis

Silvia doesn’t have a “one-size-fits-all” identifier. She is a woman, an Italian and a business leader, and each of those descriptions color her experience in different ways. Whether she’s leading a team to market breakthroughs for cancer and obesity treatments or giving back to the larger community, she works to build bridges between people. Here are Silvia’s thoughts on staying true to your core values while setting limits when necessary.

Know what you personally need

Keeping sight of your priorities will make your decisions clearer and set realistic expectations with the people around you. Things change as you go through different phases of your life. Sometimes you might have to focus on family or your personal life, and other times you can devote yourself fully to career development. If you don’t stay in contact with what you need at any given moment, you’ll have a difficult time knowing when to hold your ground versus when to give in.

Realize people are more alike than they are different
“The core needs of human beings are fundamentally the same.” Even though people come from different backgrounds, understanding the shared purpose we are working towards helps you reach compromise. “Sometimes emotion might push us in a different direction, but when we really succeed in looking in the same direction, we overcome differences and build bridges.”

Gain insights by valuing other opinions
Rather than seeing differences as forces that divide us, take advantage of these varying perspectives. “Valuing diversity enables us to use unique experiences to ignite ideas and solutions.” As you begin to understand other people’s point of view and the motivation behind, you may reconsider your usual way of approaching things.

Honor your needs outside of work
Everyone has different strategies for staying energized and feeling fulfilled—what works for someone else might not work for you. If you carve out time for your loved ones and other important aspects of your life—such as exercising, eating well and nurturing your spirituality—you will save yourself from feeling drained.

“Grow” your confidence
Silvia finds that coaching and mentoring has been really essential in developing the different sides of her and her leadership skills.

Being able to shift priorities and – if need be – set clear boundaries between the personal and professional life, is the key ingredient to the Happiness Factor for Silvia. To review, it consists of three things:

1. “Stay in contact with yourself.” Know what you really want and don’t lose sight of it.
2. Ensure you get the right level of support from the right people in your life, whether it is a relative or friend.
3. Be transparent about the choices you make – if you share why you set certain boundaries, your company may help you overcome barriers.