Your Office Behavior
By Rita Gangwani on Mar 24, 2023Our behavior at office can make or break your game. Its important to keep the following in mind.
About Point:1 If you have to ask, it probably isn’t. But no two situations are the same—and every rule has an exception.
Definitely disclose the personal matters that will impact your work in some way—like an illness or family emergency that will alter your schedule. A decent manager won’t ding you for something like this—as long as you communicate it as clearly and quickly as possible.
But what about the stuff that doesn’t affect your work—the small talk, the weekend plans, the things that actually make you human? So, Before starting the conversation, recognize that everyone has their personal and Professional bounderies. Your innocent small talk could seem intrusive to your coworker, so take it slow. As you get to know your coworkers, pay attention to how much private info they share and take your cues from them. If they keep their own lives on lockdown, respect their space. Work on actively listening to understand what’s going on beneath the surface. When in doubt, don’t share. Less is more.
About Point 2: Don’t do it. When you spread information on the sidelines, you’ll probably make some mistakes or misrepresent something. That’s the kind of thing that causes unnecessary stress for others, especially when it involves sensitive information about someone else. Imagine one of your coworkers learning that they might get fired, or that they’re being accused for a major mistake they didn’t make. Not. Cool.
Some extreme situations—the kind that actually could threaten your business—you need to communicate it through the appropriate channels in your workplace, whether it’s your manager, compliance, HR, or even outside authorities.
About Point 3: Objectively speaking, crying is just a natural emotion—whether it’s sadness, anger, or frustration. And sometimes? That huge sob and cry is what we need to release our emotions and refocus on work. It can even prove that you’re personally invested in what you’re doing. Plus, there are moments you just can’t stop yourself.
But regardless of the reason, crying at work places your coworkers in a really uncomfortable position. They’ll feel awkward, and unfortunately, it could affect their view of you. Even if your coworkers are more understanding, crying could still tell them that you having a hard time coping with stress and keep them from giving you potentially stressful projects.
But sometimes, the tears are just gonna come and I prefer to let them come in a private space like the bathroom or outside on a walk.What really matters is how you respond. Acknowledge that your coworkers feel a little uncomfortable and try to move on as quickly and painlessly as possible. Talk out any underlying issues and get back to work.