Office Love: Valentine’s Day Special
This week is Valentine’s Day! Reason enough for us to take a closer look at the flirt factor “work”.
The work atmosphere among colleagues in many offices is more and more relaxed and quite casual. People are informal and also talk about private matters. Women and men often spend more time in the office with their colleagues than with friends or their hobbies. So it’s only natural that sympathy sometimes turns into more and can start to become rather crackly.
Valentine’s Day
14th of February
The office as market for marriages
Who would have thought that, but in fact the workplace is the third largest marriage market in Germany. Almost every third relationship begins at work, colleagues fall in love with each other and become partners for life. Surveys have shown that 85% of respondents can imagine a relationship at work. Better be aware, it can happen to anyone.
Since we don’t want you to put your foot in your mouth, we share some ideas about office flirting with you. There are a few principles you should know about when dealing with sometimes rather tricky situations. In case you get caught by an office flirt or maybe even already are, you should consider to take a look at these rules to be prepared.
Work flirt – how about office love?
A smile here, a wink there – it is indeed undeniably, a small flirt among colleagues improves the mood, provides a good atmosphere and relaxes the working day. But don’t exaggerate! Flirting should never interfere with your work and productivity. Otherwise, it won’t be long before a conflict arises. Either with the colleagues or even the superior, in a worst case scenario even both.
Do you want or don’t you?
If you want your flirting to work, you need two open-minded people, of course. If you send signals but don’t come across reception, give up immediately – nothing is worse than a pushy behaviour! However, don’t you worry, there will certainly be new opportunities.
Thus, before you start an offensive, check if the chosen one is in a relationship. This can be done quite simply by asking casual, contextual questions like “What does your girlfriend say about this subject?”. You can also ask the office’s chatterbox, but be careful here. Every question shows interest and can lead to rumours that can be circumvented and anyways, don’t help anyone.
Fun Flirt?
There is nothing which stands in the way of a harmless flirt for a bit of variety. And yet, not every flirt automatically becomes something more serious. A “fun flirt” is quite legitimate if the boundaries and rules are evident to all involved. These are to be defined clearly for which you don’t necessarily need big words though, eye contact should be sufficient in most cases. As soon as you notice that interests and desires diverge, you should stop immediately.
Remember, you are still at the office. In bars, clubs or sports, you can go on the offensive if you like it. In the office it should be more discreet and conservative. Here it’s the small signals that count. They should only be noticed by the addressee, not by the entire team. On the one hand this has the advantage that one does not degrade oneself to a laughing object. On the other hand, the flirting in a discreet way becomes even more exciting anyway. By the way, this includes any physical contact in the office, which should be avoided under any circumstances! A certain level of work flirting must be obligatory. Better to start a charm offensive than a direct attack.
But what am I gonna wear?
The same discreet charm also applies to your office wardrobe. Yes, you can be sexy and of course emphasize your advantages, but please stay subtle and discreet. So if you choose a tighter pencil skirt, wear a high-necked blouse. Or you can opt for a freshly coloured dress, which can have an intense statement colour. Pair it with matching shoes.
But in fact, a radiant smile is all you need to make an impression. In addition, discreet business looks give you a smart and self-confident appearance.
Oops- -that was not meant for you!
A very golden rule: Your communication channels should only take place on your private media. Mobile phones, computers, tablets – everything that runs through the company is taboo! You can’t say that big enough. Fat cups are quasi pre-programmed. The risk that a message is accidentally sent or forwarded to the wrong person, with content that is unambiguous, ambiguous or simply too flirty, is just too high. You probably don’t have to say a lot of words about the consequences: Unpleasant!
Office as a flirt factor
There are numerous flirting factors at the office, ultimately not much different than in the schoolyard back then, only with adults and somewhat more serious and discreet. With a few principles you can also flirt very well in the office. By the way, there is generally no flirting age limit and certainly not in the office…
What are your experiences? Have you ever had a flirt at work? Felt the butterflies? And how did it end?
We are happy to hear about your news and comments at info@styles4work.com.