You certainly agree that there are matters concerning personal life that do not need to be discussed in the office. Maintaining privacy is one way to display a professional image while maintaining your positive relationship with coworkers. In addition, mixing your personal life with your professional life also risks damaging your coworkers' perception of you. By setting reasonable boundaries, practicing self-control, and separating personal and professional matters, you will undoubtedly be able to maintain your privacy without being viewed as unfriendly by colleagues in the office.
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Method 1 of 3: Separating Personal and Professional Life
Step 1. Decide what not to talk about
To maintain privacy in the office, the first thing you need to do is set reasonable boundaries. These limits, of course, vary greatly from person to person; depending on the situation in the office and what kind of balance the person wants to achieve. No matter what the norm in your office, nothing is stopping you from setting boundaries. Start by making a list of things you don't want to talk about with your coworkers.
- These may include your love life, health condition, and your political and religious views.
- Think about what topics you don't want – or are uncomfortable with – discussing with coworkers.
- Do not share the contents of the list with anyone. Just make the list a reminder for you to interact in the office.
Step 2. Decide what coworkers should not ask
There are several types of questions that, by law, coworkers shouldn't ask you. These questions cover identity background which, if asked, poses a risk of discrimination. For example, coworkers should not ask how old you are, if you have any physical disabilities, or if you are married. If anyone asks it, you have the full right not to answer it. Some other questions you have the right not to answer are:
- Are you an Indonesian citizen?
- Do you drink, smoke, or take certain drugs?
- What is your religion?
- Are you pregnant?
- What's your race?
Step 3. As much as possible, avoid using the phone for personal business in the office
If you want to keep your personal and professional life separate, avoid bringing personal matters – whatever they may be – into the office. This means that you need to limit all forms of personal communication. Calling every now and then to set up an appointment with the dentist is certainly not a problem. But if you're constantly seen talking about personal matters on the phone, your colleagues will surely hear it and be tempted to ask what you're talking about afterwards.
- Excessive personal phone calls can also annoy your boss and coworkers; chances are they will take your work less seriously.
- If you don't want to take calls from work when you get home, don't get used to taking personal calls at work either.
Step 4. Leave household chores at home
This advice may seem easier said than done, but you should give it a try. When you arrive at the office, change roles as a professional office worker, no longer as a father, mother, husband, or wife. If you're having trouble sticking to it, try defining a routine that is analogous to a “transition process” between your personal and professional life. For example, you can try taking a short walk before and after office hours. "Walking" is analogous to your mental transition from one part of your life to another.
- The process of moving from home to work (and vice versa) can be the perfect transition process.
- Just like limiting personal telephone calls in the office, walking every morning also serves to clear the mind of household problems. Once you arrive at the office, you will definitely not "invite" your co-workers to ask personal questions.
- If you seem stressed, angry, or walking into the office while receiving a call from your partner, don't be surprised if a coworker will be busy questioning you afterward.
- Think of this as an effort to maintain your relationship with all parties, both at work and at home.
Method 2 of 3: Maintaining Positive and Professional Relationships with Coworkers
Step 1. Keep your attitude friendly
Even if you are reluctant to discuss personal problems with coworkers, you can still maintain a positive relationship with them so that office life remains productive and enjoyable. Don't worry, finding a light topic that doesn't touch your personal life is not that difficult.
- If a coworker likes to talk about his personal life, or if he starts discussing a topic you'd like to avoid, politely leave the conversation.
- Talking about general topics like sports, television shows, and the latest movies is a great way to maintain a positive flow of communication without having to involve stories about your personal life.
Step 2. Turn topic
If the conversation starts to get to your private life, or if a coworker asks about your personal issues, try to divert the topic. Don't say, "Sorry, but that's none of your business." Instead, take the question casually and say, “Oh, you didn't want to know. My life is boring”, then immediately change the subject to a more comfortable topic for you to talk about.
- The ability to turn the topic can prevent you from certain topics of conversation without having to damage your relationship with the other person.
- If you change the subject – rather than just end – the conversation, your co-workers won't feel strange or suspicious.
- Plus, doing so can help you avoid coworkers' questions without seeming curt or disinterested.
- You can say, "There's nothing interesting in my life, you guys?".
- If coworkers keep asking about your personal life, let them know there are things you don't want to talk about. You can say, “I know you really care about my life and I appreciate it. But there are some personal things that I don't want to bring into the office.”
Step 3. Keep your flexibility
It's important to establish clear boundaries between your personal and professional life, but try to stay flexible when doing so. “Building boundaries” doesn't mean you should always avoid interacting with – or isolate yourself from – coworkers.
If a coworker invites you to dinner, accept their invitation. But make sure you only respond to topics you are comfortable with
Method 3 of 3: Maintaining Privacy Online
Step 1. Get to know your social media activity
Along with the development of globalization and the increasing human need for the internet, innovation in the field of social media also develops. As a result, humans tend to find it difficult to maintain privacy and build a barrier between their personal and professional lives. You certainly know that nowadays, people record all aspects of their lives on social media without really understanding how easily the information is accessed by others. The first step to dealing with the problem is to increase your self-awareness of the situation. Be aware of how your activity on social media can expose the privacy you would like to keep close to your office colleagues.
- If you want to maintain a professional self-image online and don't want your personal life to be disturbed, be smart about what you need – and don't need – to share on your social media pages.
- This includes sorting out statuses, comments, and photos. If you want to keep the two parts of life separate, do this both in and out of the office.
- Don't post tweets or comments about work life or coworkers on your social media accounts.
- You can have multiple social media accounts to keep your personal and professional life separate.
- Consider connecting with coworkers only through professional sites like LinkedIn. Meanwhile, use media like Facebook only to connect with close friends and relatives. This will help you to maintain privacy in each arena.
Step 2. Adjust the privacy settings on your social media
You can still be active on social media without having to block – or not accept friend requests – from coworkers. Think of ways to adjust the privacy rules on your social media pages, so you can limit the information you share with coworkers.
- You can control the information displayed in your account, no matter who has access to that information.
- Be careful, something that is already on the internet won't be that easy to disappear (or be removed).
Step 3. Use work email only for office purposes
Today, most of the communication process (in the office and outside the office) is done via email. It's easier to keep your work and personal emails together; but if possible, make sure you keep your work email and personal email separate. Always use work email only for office purposes, and personal email for other purposes.
- Decide when to stop checking your work email (for example, 8pm when you get home); stick to the rules.
- Setting boundaries around email prevents you from carrying your office essentials with you everywhere you go.
- If possible, avoid all work-related talk if you're already home.
- In many cases, you don't have full discretion over your work email. Usually, your boss also has the authority to read any messages sent by – and for – you. Keep your personal affairs private in personal email and don't share personal information in work email.
