Colleagues – subjects to avoid in conversation

Which subjects is it best to avoid at work? Here are the 10 themes which you should never touch upon under any circumstances:  subjects which are totally inappropriate in a professional context.

1 – Complaining about work already done

Anyone who complains about work which has been done will be poorly viewed by colleagues and this will have a negative effect on team morale.

2 – Calling another member of staff incompetent

To avoid seeming insecure, you should never call any member of the staff incompetent:  things like that are strictly for the boss only.

3 – Express your political or religious opinions

Expressing political or religious opinions is always risky, due to the likelihood of making enemies of those people who do not share them.

4 – Comparing wages

We must not allow our curiosity to lead us into comparing wages with employees of the same company: each individual earns whatever he or she earns and they all have a right to their privacy.

5 – Allow everyone to become a ‘friend’ on Social Networks

It is one thing to ask someone to become a contact on LinkedIn but it is quite another to ask them, for example, to become a friend on Facebook or Instagram:  in suh cases colleagues may see posts or images of an ambiguous nature.

6 – Reveal intimate details of one’s private life

One subject to be avoided at work above all else, is the discussion of the intimate details of one’s private life:  such matters, as well as being of little interest to others, may also cause significant embarrassment.

7 – Admitting to desiring someone else’s job

When you admit to a colleague that you would like someone else’s job you risk destroying the ambition you have developed over the years.

8 – Discussing past events

Discussing past events may alter people’s opinion of themselves:  it is better to focus only on matters regarding the present.

9 – Boast about your wild nights out with friends

Even though those evenings may be great fun, if you want to avoid anyone thinking ill of you, it is better not to boast about your monumental Saturday night drinking sessions with friends.

10 – Admitting that you are looking for a new job

Anyone who admits that they are looking for a new job is sending a clear message to colleagues that they are dissatisfied with their current role and that the company needs to find someone new.

These are the 10 subjects to avoid at work:  taboo themes which are always better discussed with friends and family only.

Translated by Joanne Beckwith