“The Specialist” Sales and Management Training Blog

Hello everybody,

HBK asked a very interesting question that has a broad range of ramifications.

HBK wanted to know if it was alright to get close with co-workers if you had plans to become an executive manager one day? My first question to HBK is what exactly do you mean? If you are referring to dating your co-workers as I suspect you mean, in a simple word the answer is NO! Now there are exceptions to every rule. Why the answer is NO is simply because business and pleasure usually don’t mix very well. Once you are dating a co-worker despite the reassurances that nothing will change, trust me EVERYTHING DOES!

Any time there is any constructive criticism depending how things went the night before in your social life will determine the response you get from the other person. Of course then you have the favoritism thing to deal with, not to mention the acrimony that will exist when the relationship ends. Now, lets address the management side of this. How can you possibly manage someone you are dating? It is almost impossible. Again, there are exceptions to everything. I, as the loyal readers have figured out do not deal in the “exceptions”. I do everything in sales/management to give myself the optimum chance to succeed.

HBK, getting close to your co-workers, as you so coyly put it, is not giving you much chance to succeed. If you are asking this question you are obviously relatively new to the business world and you need all your attention committed to the task at hand. Sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you were looking for.

“The Specialist”