A workplace coach explains how to approach a colleague you're interested in without risking misunderstanding. Start by discussing shared values and workplace culture, then reveal your personal intentions. This framing reduces the chance of being accused of harassment.
Fear of being misunderstood, and honestly, the fear really here is the fear of a sexual harassment case. How many agree that's a genuine fear you think people could have in the workplace? Yes or no? Yes. What in the world are you talking about that it's going there? What in the world are you talking about when you talk about mutually amazing relationships that would get anywhere near a harassment case? If I walk up to a coworker and say, hey, I want to have a mutually amazing relationship with you, let's talk about that. They could misinterpret that. I agree, that might not be the approach to this conversation. Right? You might not want to just start off that way. Notice, did I start off that way tonight? No, I set the standard for why we're having the conversation in the first place. All right? That's the key. You're not just going to walk up and say, I want to have a mutually maintaining relationship. You're going to say, hey, let's talk about our culture. We don't want bad things to happen. So what do we want to have happen? And And you then reveal, well, what would a mutually amazing relationship work in the workplace?
