Are you Maintaining Professional Boundaries with Co-Workers?

Are you Maintaining Professional Boundaries with Co-Workers?

• Do you dress differently when you know you'll be seeing a certain co-worker?
• Is your communication (texting, messaging, FB friends, etc) any different with one person than others?
• Does one co-worker know more about your personal life than other co-workers?
• Do you discuss your spouse with a co-worker?
• If your boss became aware of your conversations or time together, would it appear odd or out of line?
• If your spouse found messages, texts, emails, between you and a co-worker, would you feel embarrassed? Would your spouse be upset?
• Do other co-workers tease you about your "special friendship" with someone? 
• Do you hide the facts of your co-worker relationship from other co-workers?
• If you include an emoticon in a text or email for one co-worker, is it equally included to all other co-worker as well? 
• Do you find yourself making excuses for a special relationship with a co-worker, i.e., "her husband is gone a lot and she needs a friend to talk to," or "We are in the same line of work and he really gets me."

When all else fails, imagine that every email, text, phone message, physical exchange, or gift between you and a co-worker are laid out on a conference table in your place of business. How would others perceive it? And, how would you feel now?