Disclosure of information - Essay Example

Topic of Discussion: A New Fellow Worker Disclosing His/Her Issues With a Former Boss Being New in the Job Instance when someone disclosed too much information too soon. This happened in a workplace where I used to work. An officemate resigned and the company hired a replacement. The new hire looked sharp and seemed to be very good in what he/she does. We were excited to know more about this fellow worker and would like him/her to be comfortable with the new working environment only to be disappointed when we got to know him/her.

We invited him/her for a dinner and few drinks to let our hair down, have fun and to know each other. The dinner went fine and we initially enjoyed the company. But after few drinks, the situation became sour. This new employee begun badmouthing his/her former boss and the company he/she used to work with. We initially thought he/she was just kidding because he/she looked sharp and we thought that he/she knew that it is unethical to badmouth former employers to new work colleagues. But he/she was not kidding, as he/she ranted all night long venting all his/her frustration on us about his/her former boss, his former co-workers and everything about the company he/she used to work for.

It got to the point that we got stressed by his/her ranting that it defeated the purpose of our night out. How I responded to this early disclosure Listening to his/her litany of pent-up emotions about his/her former boss and company really stressed me. It really turned me off. And it got me thinking that I may be badmouthed too should this new fellow worker move to other company. The next day, I became uneasy and uncomfortable around this new fellow worker though he/she was nice to me. For whatever reason, I feel guarded around his/her presence.

I became uncomfortable sharing my own personal idiosyncrasy and kept my distance from him/her. I also avoided long conversation with him/her.How it might have affected my relationship. After that evening, my relationship with that new co-worker stayed on a professional level. I just became guarded to the point that I avoided personal contact. I am aware that it is not the usual me to avoid people. But with this co-worker, I seem to have hard-time establishing a personal relationship as I became too guarded and stiff around him/her for us to become friends.

I can feel that he/she is not really that bad as a person. But I just cannot forget his/her litany and ranting during the first evening that we socialized. Every time I try, the words she mentioned against his/her former boss and work mates just keeps ringing on my head. In a way, her personal angst rubbed on me as it affected my ability to open up to some people. Years went by and we both eventually resigned, but our relationship never progressed beyond the professional.