How Should You Share Personal Information in the Workplace?

A strange atmosphere of tension pervaded in the office although Peter was alone there. Maybe it was because of the weather, he thought, as it had been a muggy day. He looked through the window – the dark grey clouds were moving closer and closer with every minute. Suddenly  lightning flashed through the sky. Some seconds later a loud clap followed. Peter turned away and checked his watch – it was late.

Well… Dear All …, he mumbled staring at his laptop screen. His head was buzzing with so many thoughts that he was trying to put ‘on paper’. A tremendous crash of thunder shook the window - it started to rain. A rueful grimace twisted Peter’s face.  

He was not used to wearing his heart on his sleeve. Life was all a matter of luck … Oh yeah…, Peter was reasoning and arguing with himself. Indecision was plainly written on his face. At last he deleted the word “divorce”. He checked the text of the email that he was going to send to his colleagues – John, Ruth, Emily, Sam, and Mike – and noticed that the text made no sense. He inserted the deleted word again. Still, something worried him – he deleted the whole text …

Peter leaned back drawing a deep breath. This was the first time he was trying to inform his colleagues about the circumstances that had brought him to a difficult situation. Here he was – a forty-eight-year old man who had been very happy, yet… He was going through a divorce and was seeking some emotional support from people he knew. At the same time he needed some breathing space to rebuild his life. How to inform the colleagues? Should he?

Wondering, he felt very lonely and was struggling to realize how much his life would change. Peter stood up and approached the window. It was raining cats and dogs. Actually, he had tried to talk to John but it had been a vain attempt - John had loads of work. Hmm… Who had time for listening? A wry smile crossed his face. Everybody seemed to be so busy with their own problems – family, children, relationships, health, work…

Peter returned to his desk settling back further in the chair. His eyes were closed. No, it was not his habit of speaking about his personal matters – especially about his marriage. “Let your hair down – write to your friends and colleagues on Facebook”, such a weird piece of advice he had read somewhere.    

Was Facebook the right place for sharing feelings – especially relationships? He pondered. Social media fascinated him. He liked its uncomplicated communication as he called it - quick, convenient, and less personal. Was it? Yet, he was not convinced whether he should share his feelings on Facebook.

Was writing an email the best way to inform his colleagues? No share or like/dislike buttons, Peter thought, they should delete the email after reading it. He was tired – his thoughts affected him so much. One of the unpleasant things about all this was that Peter didn’t want to be perceived as a loser. He must avoid Sam’s withering sarcasm and Emily’s curiosity. An email seemed to be a good solution. Peter’s mind seesawed between hesitation and hope. Still, he hoped …

Peter opened his eyes. Suddenly he was convinced he had found the right words.   

He didn’t hear when it stopped raining, being so busy writing the email that began with the words “Dear All, I am going through …” When he finished, he clicked on “send”, and leaned back. He experienced enormous relief.

Did Peter realize that his private story had taken on a life of its own?

Should you bring your private life to the office?