Falling in love is heavenly, it’s beautiful, it’s like the sight of sunset on a private beach. It’s even more interesting because you don’t really have control over who you fall in love with, where you fall in love, and when you fall in love.
This same involuntary characteristic is what makes falling in love with a co-worker a banana peel. Why? Because, it is nothing like dating a college sweetheart where the both of you get to live like two fish in a bowl, not caring if the world exists.
So, when you and that attractive co-worker decide to dip your pens in the company ink, keep in mind that things may get real messy. The following are the best strategies to employ when trying to date a coworker.
1. Find out your company’s policy and carry out an assessment
To start with, not all companies encourage romantic relationships amongst its co-workers. Office romance in some organisation may attract a transfer, demotion, or outright dismissal. And sincerely, losing a job over a relationship isn’t worth it, even though it may seem so at that time.
If your company is silent on office romance, good for you, but what about other co-workers? There are bound to be issues like gossip, envy, jealousy. Some may even suspect favoritism towards your partner. Are you ready to deal with that? If you are, you can proceed.
2. Be sure of your feelings
It could really be terrible if you mistake the highs you get from working with the other person as a form of romantic interest. Don’t mistake compliments, water dispenser chitchats, glances, and grins as signs of office romance. If you are not sure of the way you feel, take a break from this person and find a way to balance and enjoy life outside of work.
Besides, does the other person feel the same way about you? Getting an answer to this might require some investigation and degree of intuition. Lastly, make sure the co-worker is single, it’ll makes things less complicated for the both of you.
3. Keep it low-key
If eventually, your co-worker agrees to date you, keep it quiet for a while. This will allow you room to work on where the relationship is gravitating towards. If eventually, the relationship doesn’t work out as planned, no one will be the wiser.
Another reason to keep your office romance quiet is that people come to work with different countenance and mindsets. The idea of you two turning the workplace into a love nest might cause some coworkers to feel offended or alienated which may complicate things in the long run.
4. Be careful of preferential treatment
One of the dangers of office romance is biasness or favouritism for love interest. Immediately everyone knows you are dating a coworker, they will automatically assume you are giving preferential treatment to your date. You will need to work assiduously to prove them wrong. You will need to show that your judgment is not being impaired by your relationship.
5. Be professional even if the relationship doesn’t work out
Eventually, some romantic office relationship break down abruptly or fades away slowly as time, situation, and challenge comes. Here comes the hard part: When it happens, get it together. Leave the dead weights of anger, tears, and disappointment at home and be professional in your relationship with everyone, most especially, your ex. Be polite, get your work done without conflict and move on. It may be hard but you will get over it with time.
Image credit: theparade.co.zw
Courtesy of: Discovery.