Setting Boundaries: Managing Workload, Not Just Projects

There’s a difference between managing projects and managing workload—and I learned that the hard way.

Years ago, I was tracking all the right things: timelines, tickets, blockers. Everything looked “green” on the outside. But inside the team, people were burning out. Quietly working late. Missing lunch. Pulling weekend hours they weren’t talking about.

The projects were being managed. But the people weren’t.

That’s when I realized: managing workload isn’t about assigning less—it’s about setting and respecting boundaries.

Boundary #1: Working Hours Are Not Elastic

If your default culture is “just get it done,” the work will always expand to fill every hour—and then some. I started explicitly reinforcing working hours. If someone posted on Slack outside of their supposed working hours (we choose our own schedule at work), I’d DM and say: “Why are you online?”

Not to scold. To remind them that work doesn’t own their life.

Sometimes people just need permission to stop. Your silence might be read as approval otherwise.

Boundary #2: Protecting Focus Time Is Non-Negotiable

Meetings creep. Chat pings multiply. Before you know it, your devs have no deep work blocks.

I began blocking out “no-meeting hours”—team-wide. The effect? Less context switching, more velocity, and (most importantly) less frustration.

Managing workload isn’t just about what’s on someone’s plate. It’s about how fragmented that plate is.

Boundary #3: Push Back On Poor Planning

One of the hardest things I had to learn as a manager: urgency is not the same as importance.

Just because someone higher up says “we need this by Friday” doesn’t mean it’s realistic—or respectful. I started asking for context: “What happens if this ships next week instead?” Often, the answer is… nothing.

Pushing back protects your team’s bandwidth. It also teaches stakeholders to plan better.

Boundary #4: Normalize Saying “No” (Or “Not Now”)

Burnout thrives in a culture of yes.

So I made it a habit to publicly say “no” to things (not just at work but in every aspect of my life as well). “We’re at capacity. Let’s revisit this next sprint.” By modeling that behavior, others followed.

Saying no isn’t negative—it’s leadership.

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Burnout Isn’t a Resource Issue. It’s a Boundary Issue.

You can’t spreadsheet your way out of an overloaded team. You need to lead with empathy, not just efficiency. That means checking in. Not just “How’s the project going?” but “How are you doing with this load?”

Sometimes the fix isn’t reassigning tasks. It’s redefining expectations.

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You’re Not Just Managing Work. You’re Managing Energy.

If you care about sustainable output, you have to care about human input. Burnout costs more than missed deadlines—it drains morale, trust, and creativity.

Set the boundaries. Protect the energy. The projects will follow.