Personal Questions in a Professional Relationship

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Dear Student,
I have decided to provide you with this comprehensive & situational example solution as I deemed it is necessary for you to see how personal overlaps the professional in detriment of the latter, especially in a corporate environment. The solution is attached as a word document. Good Luck!

Asking Personal Questions

In a professional environment, aside from imbibing a set culture, the participant learns certain values pertaining to towing the line between the personal and professional role he/she is playing. This takes effect in the manner by which the individual forms primary groups within that professional circle, taking great care not to let the personal interfere with the professional. It is unavoidable to ask personal questions in a professional environment. Take for instance two secretaries sharing a cubicle - the responsibilities & time-shared will become a venue for them to share experiences together, forming a bond. Take for instance police officers teamed up as partners - long nights in the streets on a stake-out is bound to create some bond, pretty soon they will feel responsible for each other and relationships beyond the professional are formed, friendships if you will.

The thing is, in a professional environment, one must always put to mind that it is about a job; it comes first before the personal and this shows itself in situations where one must think crucially of the appropriateness of asking personal questions. Take for example this situation: a new manager had been assigned to an office to put things in order - the staff are not performing their jobs, work does not get done in time & efficiently, cutbacks must be made and the new manager must decide whether or not to let people go in order to streamline his operations. In his first day in the office, he distances himself from the friendly staff in order to observe them. He found out that strong intrapersonal bonds have developed leading to a lot of ...