pRelationship

Job or office romances can really work but it actually requires a lot of good common sense. Spending a lot of time around the same people every day naturally allows you the opportunity to get to know them better and become more comfortable around them. This can often lead to casual talking, joking, laughing—maybe even flirting.

But when you date someone in your office, it is vitally important that you leave your relationship drama at home where it belongs. Not in the office amongst you co-workers. Otherwise you may end up in the HR department for a talk about the office’s dating policy or even worse in your boss’s office for a reprimand. Keeping work professional and keeping what you do personally from interfering is something we all must do. But there’s no denying that the interference can happen. So here are some office dating tips for you to think about before making your move, and to remember once (or if!) you do.

Think Before You Step
Dating a coworker can be like “walking through a minefield with big clown shoes.” Don’t be so quick to jump freely and willingly into a relationship without considering all the consequences. Especially if the other person is a superior or someone with whom we work closely or regularly. Sometimes the relationship may not work out and them you’ve got a bitter and sometimes revengeful person to deal with. So you have to decide: Is it worth the risk to you? People can lose jobs and get sued because of relationships gone bad.

Control Your Excitement
Admittedly, an office fling can definitely spice up your life and add lots of excitement. Don’t go overboard and forget where you are and what you are there to do. Many people get caught up in the excitement and forget to focus on their work. Instead they expend all their energy wooing the other person or talking to other co-workers about you new found love. Determine to keep it low key while in the office and involve as few people as you can to prevent the work distraction.
Likewise, if the relationship fails, try not to dwell on what went wrong. Mulling over a relationship gone bad is what you do at home while eating ice cream and watching that tearjerker for the fifteenth time, not an activity to do at your desk.

Finally, everyone can benefit from heeding this advice if they are serious about pursuing a relationship at work. With the right partner, the right mindset, the right perspective, and the right attitude, you can make it work. You never know whether your true love and future soulmate is in the next office cubicle or just down the hall.

When dealing with everyday workplace relationships and job situations involving bosses and co-workers it can be a challenge to handle the different personalities and communication styles you may encounter. There are a few relationship tips and smooth moves I’ve picked up over the years to help improve my workplace relationships at my different places of employment and to get the upper hand on the challenges of interpersonal exchanges. I’d like to briefly touch on one that I consider to be my best.

The Mirror Technique:

Be the “man in the mirror”  and people will immediately feel comfortable talking to you. Here’s how you do it. When someone comes to talk to you, whether it’s the boss or another co-worker, stop what you are doing as quickly as possible. Ask for more time if necessary so as to give them your full attention. Then the smooth move is this; Immediately mirror the persons posture and position (Whether sitting or standing) and make immediate eye contact. This is a killer smooth move that most people will not even realize  you are doing and will immediately set them at ease. The fact that you stopped what you were doing will also give the impression that you think they are important and what they have to say is valuable. Eye contact locks in the connection and, lastly, a big smile seals the deal.

If you do this on a regular basis, they will always feel comfortable talking to you and getting your advise and will many time tell you things that they would never tell the other employees. I do this on a regular basis and believe me it works! Check out my website at www.prelationships.com for more tips and advice on improving workplace relationships.