Do Not Discuss Personal Problems at the Office

Some office professionals have a more difficult time than others understanding the boundaries that separate our personal and professional lives. Whether these people or lonely or just more open, they share too much of their lives at the office too fast, making others uncomfortable and themselves the target of gossip and criticism.

This article explains, “The key to success really stems from one important skill: Can you truly separate what’s business from what’s personal? If you think you can, and you’re aware of the risks—go for it. But if you tend to overshare with your pals, or if you still feel your eyes well up when being corrected on your spreadsheet formatting, it’s probably best to keep it professional for now.”

Many office professionals just don’t grasp why it is perfectly fine to talk about your children at the office, but it is not okay to discuss your children’s personal problems with drugs, sex, money, the law or any other deeply personal and compromising matter. We all talk about our marriages, but we shouldn’t bring up our marital problems. Many office professionals fail to ascertain that it is fine to talk about their fear of heights but not about their fear of immigrants who they believe are taking jobs away from Americans.

Just because people are nice to you at work doesn’t mean they like you. People are nice at work because they are professionals and they are behaving in a professional manner. However, some employees interpret this as a sign that they are truly liked on a personal level by their colleagues, and so open up to them with information that is in appropriate for the workplace. Personal problems, financial woes and political views should remain private information. Work is work; act accordingly.

Photo courtesy of Martin Cathrae.