One of the most ideal ways to keep your job is to create a bond with your coworkers. Being able to work with them comfortably while still being professional is a key to a good working experience.
Which is why it is very important to build a good relationship with them since they are technically people you can be friends with, and you may not know when you would need a friend from work. Then again, there are people who just do not have any filter or boundaries. If you are this type of person then it might not be a good idea to bring this side of you at work.
There are things that are better left unsaid, especially if you are supposed to be in a professional environment, if you don’t exactly know what’s not to talk about, here are some of them.
Religion
One of the worst possible things to talk about at work is possibly religion. It is such a personal matter that there are actually a lot of people who are sensitive about their own faith. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to hide your own religion or be ashamed of it, anyone is free to choose their own religion and have the right to express it. Then again, this doesn’t give anyone the right to influence others and bother them by your chosen faith.
There are people who are very religious and there are those who don’t even have one, so it is just never okay to flaunt it. It is one topic that you must avoid at all cost so don’t start talking to your coworkers about your beliefs or your opinion about other people’s beliefs since you don’t exactly know what other people might think.
Be sensitive enough not to talk about it so that you wouldn’t need to say what your thoughts are regarding the matter. This also means that you must never try to convert them, it might make them want to stay away from you and your professional relationship might be at stake.
Politics
Another one would be politics, just like religion, it is not ideal to talk to your coworkers about what your views are when it comes to politics. People tend to be as sensitive when it comes to this topic just as they are sensitive about religion. There are tons of political conversations that lead to not so great confrontations. This would be the last thing that you would want since you wouldn’t want to work with someone who you don’t feel comfortable being around, just because you don’t have the same political views.
Sharing what your thoughts are about politics or any politician, may strain your relationship with your coworkers. The only time you can actually talk about it is if you happen to work for a political candidate during the elections. Then again, it is still not ideal to talk about who you voted for since it could spark a debate between coworkers.
Career Move
It is always good to have goals, but you are not working there to tell your coworkers all about what you want to do with your life. Everyone wants something out of something, if you are unhappy with what you’re doing with your current job, it is best to just not talk about it to your coworkers.
There are times that your unhappiness and resentment towards your job may rub off of them in a not so nice way. Your coworkers may actually be happy with their jobs and you might offend them in a certain way.
However, if you plan on discussing positive work goals just like trying to get promoted, you may talk about this privately with your boss but not with your coworkers. Then again if ever you plan on leaving the company and look for other jobs, telling your coworker might lead to your boss finding out and the company would then find a reason for them to let you go.
Personal Problems
Last but definitely not the least is talking to your coworkers about your personal problems. There is nothing wrong if you share some bits and pieces about your personal life, but it is not exactly ideal to talk to them all about your problems at home or your life in general. This might cause gossip that could get out of hand, and it could lead to your boss finding out. This would then lead to them not trusting you to do your job well since you seem distracted.