Learn how to follow your heart and, at the same time, remain professional. Spending time with someone on a regular basis will inevitably lead to the development of a romantic relationship. Social psychologists found in the late 1960s that we often find attractive those we often see. During the study, individuals saw images of several faces. Some images were displayed up to 25 times. Others just appeared once or twice. The more often the participants came across a certain person's photo, the more willingly they reported that they liked that person.
Statistics also confirms this theory; HeadHunter Research Service reports that 41% of employees had relationships with colleagues, while 18% of such romances led to marriage. According to valentine's Day VTsIOM, 64% of Russians consider intrigues at work "the norm of life," and 26% are critical of such situations but are ready to accept them.
People, it seems, can't live without office romances. Here are some tips on how to make them enjoyable and painless for both parties.
Read also: Why Extraordinary People Avoid Mediocre Friends
1. Find out the position of your company
According to research at Vault.com, 41% of employees are unaware of their company’s office romance policies. The organization may have some attitude in this regard; they are not too advertised. Information about your personal relationships at the wrong time can come up and play against you.
Of course, you have the right to privacy, and the ban can only be unspoken. However, if the management does not approve of such things, the situation can become unpleasant. So it's best to find out everything in advance carefully. Sometimes simply looking around is sufficient; if someone meets in your department or a neighboring department and treats it normally, no reprisals will follow.
2. Think about the consequences
Always consider how your actions will impact your life later, including starting a romance. However, if the acquaintance took place on neutral territory, you can relax a little and watch where your feelings lead you. After all, the only thing that holds you together is your desire to be with one another. The stakes are higher, though, when it comes to an office romance.
If something goes wrong, the further career of one of you may deteriorate or working together will become intolerable.
3. Avoid Power Imbalances
When one of you is the boss and the other is a subordinate, that is when things get difficult. Dismissal, salary, participation in important projects - when the chosen one affects these aspects of your career, it is better to avoid relationships or start them in a different status. If you are in a higher position, it is in your best interest to avoid favoritism to remain professional. In any case, a situation in which one person is dependent on another is fertile ground for abuse.
4. Do not sort things out in the workplace
Whether or whether to publicize the relationship is one of the key issues. However, the collective problem is not the very fact of your novel, but what may follow from it. For example, a violation of boundaries, in which personal life affects professional life. As a result, you shouldn't settle disputes in the workplace. This is unethical and makes for good gossip. The same rule applies to displays of affection; coworkers should not be made aware of them unless they take place in a pub where you all went for drinks in the evening.
5. Talk less about dating
Each of us has a whole set of social roles. To some, we are children, to others as parents, as neighbors. We are both a personal partner and a colleague for the chosen one from work. Balancing these roles can be difficult.
Of course, you can't do without talking about business at all, especially if you are workaholics and work for you never remains outside the office threshold. But for the sake of relationships, it is sometimes worth imposing such a moratorium. On the other hand, maybe your passion is fueled by how your partner solves work problems, which is how he attracted you. The main thing is that relationships are a priority when you are alone.
Also read: How to Stop Being Shy: 10 Effective Tips
6. Be prepared to take drastic action
Life can give you a choice; career or relationship. At the very least, you have to choose between this particular relationship and this particular job. Based on the polls in Russia, every third person is ready to sacrifice a workplace for love. Whatever choice you make in the end, you must have a firm stance.
7. Finish beautifully
Many broken couples struggle with the challenge of staying friends. However, if you met with a colleague, and now you are making an effort to forget what happened, this is just when a bad world is better than a good quarrel. Provided, of course, that both of you stayed in the same company. If not, and the relationship ended badly, you may securely block your ex on all social media platforms. after sending an angry rebuke.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker