By J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor
We all have a life outside of work. It is great to be ambitious and keep busy with events, meet-ups with friends and fun vacations. Even sharing with co-workers what’s going on outside of the office can be fine; as long as they’re not learning about it second-hand from your phone calls. Be aware of your surroundings and the ears that my be picking up on personal phone calls you make from your desk.
Most employers are flexible about making a call during business hours. Typically you would step away from your desk to place the call, and use your personal phone. This is acceptable and widely appreciated by colleagues. The pet peeves kick in when you’re using the company phone to call your children’s school back, or you’re discussing test results from your doctor, and even worse would be to loudly brag about how much you drank over the weekend. While this is all pretty self-explanatory sometimes we all need a reminder of what we’re doing. Getting caught up in the moment can happen, but we all need to be aware of our surroundings.
If you have an emergency that warrants a call then step away from your desk, or find an empty office to talk in. While many may be sympathetic to your tears, if it is a distressing situation, it would be best for all if you took some time off to handle what’s happening in your personal life. Don’t give anyone a reason to call you out on making a personal call. While their motives may be petty it could come back to bite you down the road. Safeguard yourself by taking what’s personal outside or away from ill-meaning co-workers.
How did you do with last week’s bad habit, sharing too much information? Take a cue from this week’s lesson and find the right time and place to vent or share. Not everyone needs to know about your close and personal details!
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