Seven things you should never share with your boss

Depending on where you work, your boss can either be a respected colleague or the boss can seem like an adversary. Regardless of the relationship you have with your boss, at the end of the day, he/she is still your boss and there are some boundaries that must be maintained. Your boss will ultimately make decisions about you when there are opportunities for promotion, and your inability to maintain clear boundaries, by sharing too much information, can hurt your chances.{{more}}

1. You are having family problems. Family problems come in so many forms: custody battles, child support, marital problems, relationship love triangles, and the list goes on. It’s difficult to concentrate at work when experiencing such traumatic issues, but these are not concerns you should bring to your boss. He or she may think you are unprofessional and incapable of handling your personal issues.

2. Your political views. Politics is very divisive, and openly discussing your political views, especially in close-knit communities, can create permanent enemies. Emotions will run high and spill over, but work still needs to be done. Leave your political views at the door and refrain from heated discussions.

3. Your health issues. Unless your health issues require you to take time off from work, such as surgeries or childbirth, do not share anything. You will be judged and this can come back to hinder you .

4. Telling your boss the place will fall apart without you. You’ve all heard it before: people who brag about how important they are to the workplace. That may not be good. No company should depend heavily on one person. If that person leaves suddenly, is sick or God forbid they die, then the company is left in a very precarious position. Do a good job but never brag about how irreplaceable you are—your boss might realize how vulnerable the company is and fix the problem.

5. Sharing your party life detail by detail. If you went out on the weekend and partied hard, do not share how drunk you got or who you spent the night with. Your moral character can come under scrutiny and that, too, can change the way you are viewed.

6. “I am busy, I can’t help you right now.” As an employee, you must be available to get whatever project at hand completed. Sometimes, that may mean you need to drop what you are doing to pick up something new. It might not make sense to you, but if that is what’s required, please make yourself available.

7. “I don’t like working with __________.” Working is not a popularity contest. When you accept a job, you don’t choose who you want to work with. Complaining about not wanting to work with a particular person is a clear demonstration of your unprofessionalism and immaturity. You are at work because you made a deal with the company: the company has money and you have time and skills, and you both agreed to exchange. Show up daily, keep your end of the deal, and stop complaining.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com
Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com