For many workers, it becomes quite natural to open up to colleagues after spending a lot of time with them. As most professionals spend over 40 hours a week in the office, they become more comfortable sharing things about themselves with colleagues. However, revealing the wrong things about oneself can have a negative effect on a person’s career.
While some workers have regretted sharing aspects of their lives with their co-workers, emotionally intelligent people almost never have to deal with this type of problem. According to the Huffington Post, people who have a high emotional intelligence are well-versed at reading others, and this ability enables them to see what they should and shouldn’t reveal about themselves at work.
Here are the things that emotionally intelligent people never reveal about themselves at work.
How much money they make
While your family may love the fact that you’re earning so much and doing well at your work, your colleagues may feel differently once they know about your salary. When they know how much you make, they could scrutinize your every move and see if you truly deserve all the money that you’re getting.
Their political views and religious beliefs
There’s a reason why etiquette experts warn against talking politics or religion at parties. While there’s nothing wrong with standing up for what you think is right, other people also think that their own views are right, and this is how clashes in the office begin. Be willing to listen to others, but don’t try to make them see from your point of view. Remember, each person is raised differently, and employees need to respect each other’s beliefs to have harmony in the office.
Their wild past
You may be a different person now from how you used to be in your teens, but that’s no excuse to tell people how wild you were back in the day. The past has a way of popping up to ruin the future, so if you have a history of binge drinking, occasional drug use, petty theft, fighting, or any other activity that may raise eyebrows, it’s probably best to keep it to yourself.
What they do in the bedroom
The fact that you’ve gone all “Fifty Shades” last night does not need to be broadcast at work. Though some may get a kick out of the story, it’s highly possible that some colleagues may get uncomfortable or offended.
That they’re planning to go job hunting
Once you announce that you’re looking for a job somewhere else, people may think that you don’t care anymore about your job and that you’re just phoning it in before you pack up and go. It’s best to wait until you get a new job before telling anybody.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on the things that you should never say to your office friends.
