Relationships at Work - Updating How We Talk about Those

 Work wife/husband

Family

Mentor

and More

Today Insider joins other media outfits in taking a hard look at how we talk about our relationships in our professional lives. Overall the conclusion is that most of the language is outdated. 

For example, take the term "family." That concept had been standard during a time in business that large organizations essentially were paternalistic. When I had been an executive speechwriter/ghostwriter at Chevron I referred to the "family" in all internal communications. No one, not even the most cynical, made fun of that allusion.

As for the work spouse idea - that is, the colleague we confide in and count on to watch our back - we have become aware of how problematic that can be. Our actual marital partner or significant other is likely to resent that level of intimacy. Even though I am self-employed and don't have an office life I warn those on my network to be cautious about how they refer to our bonds in conversations with their partner at home.

As for mentoring, come on. Yes, on the one hand, as Mentorloop documents, the process has generated benefits for both individuals and organizations. The relationship can open doors. Also, companies with formal mentoring programs had profits which had been 18% better than average and those without them produced profits 45% worse than average.

However, in this era of so much change, the relationship can be increasingly flawed. Typical is that the mentee exceeds the mentor. At the very least there is tension. Often those who had been outdistanced can try to undermine the former mentee. 

Instead of referring to that early help in a career as "mentoring," why not designate it as "coaching." It is an in-and-out. Once the entry-level employee gets a hang of the culture, the coaching ends. 

When we change our language about relationships at work we shift our expectations. No, the infrastructure is not that of a family. If we accept that we recognize how challenging the current phase of capitalism has become. That awareness can protect our mental health.

Connect the dots in a fresh way.

Intuitive coaching for job search, earning income in semiretirement, professional transitions, and starting your own business. 12 years coaching experience. 5 years experience creating communications for human resources. Complimentary 5-minute reading. Sliding scale billing. Please text 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com for appointment. 

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