14. Dodging Too-Personal Conversations
I just don’t want to discuss my personal life at work.
It’s often difficult to know how to respond when a customer, colleague, or any other acquaintance shows an interest in, or asks questions about, areas of your life that you consider personal.
In one of my business etiquette seminars, a young man made the statement above, and he asked how he should have responded to his manager when he inquired about his breakup with his fiancée. The young man felt very awkward discussing with his boss the details of his relationship with his fiancée.
The young man’s communication concern often arises for all of us. How do we avoid talking about something that we don’t want to discuss?
The first thing to remember is that ...
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