Image from www.images.comWe were taught at a young age that whispering is rude, especially when done in front of others. As it turns out, this policy more or less remains true throughout our professional life. Being hush hush while blatantly being visible to other coworkers spells a recipe for disaster by creating mystery and potential concern. Here are some rules when it comes to ‘keeping your cards close’ conversations:
- Avoid public places for private conversations. This is the bottom line. If you are somewhere public, you risk someone overhearing you. Do not have private conversations in restrooms, open-air cubicles, or near the water cooler. It’s exclusive in a taunting way and can undermine your professionalism with perceived childish behavior.
- Protect your digital conversations. Anything you send on company email can be traced by even a halfway competent IT specialist. This includes reviews, promotions, etc. If it’s an important and confidential document, print it out and send it via hard mail. This also goes for any chatting servers you use.
- Private means just that. If you have a private business matter to discuss in regard to work issues, take it behind closed doors. Be professional and keep it as succinct as possible. There's nothing that starts rumors faster than an office door that's shut for an unusual amount of time with key players exiting an hour later. Timing is key, so be mindful of having a meeting that requires a closed door.
Making Etiquette Easy,
Susan K. Medina
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