The Product Manager’s Path to Resilience: Balancing Empathy and Limits
I’m a Human Being first and everything later …
Early in my career, I didn’t always have colleagues who provided the support I needed, so I know firsthand challenge. I wanted to be the kind of person I once needed — someone others could trust, someone who would understand, without any judgement.
One of my core principles has always been simple: treat others the way I’d like to be treated. Being naturally empathetic, I instinctively support my colleagues , irrespective of wheather they are part of my immediate team or not. For me, it’s not imposter syndrome that I struggle with — it’s what I’d call “helping syndrome.”
I always assume good intentions even when things get tough, taking ownership of grey areas to get the work streams moving . With one high level goal, whish is to minimise the negative impact on customers and business.
My experiences have taught me that , as much as I wish I foster a positive, goal-oriented environment, I can’t control others’ perceptions or reactions. Nor am I responsible for their behavior. It’s necessary for me to recognize where my responsibility ends.
There have been many moments that tested my resilience. One situation that stands out involved a colleague who implied that my team wasn’t meeting certain expectations. As the newest member of the team, I had been dedicating myself to bridging knowledge gaps and building trust, so the comment hit harder than expected. But rather than dwell on the initial sting, I initiated constructive discussion about our goals and challenges, and over time, we built a positive, collaborative relationship.
A little while later, I had a similar interaction with the same colleague . In that moment, I realized again that while I approach each interaction with goodwill, not everyone will always respond in kindness— and that’s okay. What matters is that I protect my own boundaries, my mental health, and my energy.
As I reflect on my eleven years in the field, I’m proud of the respectful, empathetic, and professional demeanour I bring to every role. I plan to continue supporting my colleagues with the same empathy and dedication, but I’ll also prioritize my mental and emotional health along the way.
Looking forward, I’m adopting a simple yet essential action plan for this balance:
- Maintain Empathy and Respect: I’ll keep approaching each situation with understanding and positive intent, but I’ll also balance my responses to protect my well-being.
- Strengthen Boundaries: While helping and supporting others is a priority, I’ll ensure my own boundaries are strong, so that my empathy doesn’t come at a personal cost.
- Focus on Sustainable Collaboration: By fostering a clear, solutions-driven approach, I hope to create a healthy, productive team dynamic that benefits everyone.
I’m sharing this page from my perosnal diary because I know many others who, like me, feel a strong desire to help others, sometimes at the expense of their own well-being. If that’s you, know this: your empathy is a strength, and so is your right to set boundaries.
Resilience doesn’t mean absorbing every difficulty; it means recognizing when to preserve your energy, ensuring that you can continue doing what you love sustainably.
If you have any thoughts or would like to chat over a coffee, I’d be glad to connect!
Email : nidasaleem333@gmail.com
