Managing Sticky Situations at Work
Managing Sticky Situations at Work
Managing Sticky Situations at Work
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<strong>Sticky</strong> Romantic <strong>Situ<strong>at</strong>ions</strong> in the Office 125Dave checks his calendar. He has a lunch d<strong>at</strong>e with his wife.They’re having a problem with their teenage son and decided tomeet for lunch to talk about str<strong>at</strong>egies. ‘‘I can’t today.’’Roberta rises and sits on the side of his desk. She flips her hairover her shoulder and smiles <strong>at</strong> him. ‘‘Come on, Dave, wh<strong>at</strong>could be more important than a d<strong>at</strong>e with your boss?’’Dave sighs. ‘‘Can we talk any other time?’’ He knows shedoesn’t really want to talk about the branch office deal. Theytalked th<strong>at</strong> already nearly to de<strong>at</strong>h.Roberta hops off his desk. ‘‘Well, if you must play hard to get,’’she looks <strong>at</strong> him under hooded eyes. ‘‘Come on, Dave. I’ve gotappointments all week. This is my only free hour. There’s no oneI’d r<strong>at</strong>her share it with. I’ll tre<strong>at</strong> you to a glass of your favoritePinot.’’‘‘You know I never drink during the work day.’’Her voice drops. ‘‘Not before five. But after th<strong>at</strong>, well, don’tmake me beg.’’Dave agrees to the lunch. He calls his wife and cancels theirplans.During lunch Roberta toys with Dave’s foot under the table.She slips off her shoe and touches his leg with her bare toes. She gigglesand teases him as if she were his lover. He feels decidedlyuncomfortable, but she’s a very <strong>at</strong>tractive woman. Her <strong>at</strong>tentionand her girlish behavior excite him, especially since he’s seen heroper<strong>at</strong>e in the boardroom where she’s anything but girlish. Whenshe acts like this, she seems more human. Despite himself, Davelaughs <strong>at</strong> her jokes and listens while she talks about her familyand her deepest dreams. But as they amuse one another, he wondersjust where this rel<strong>at</strong>ionship with Roberta is headed.APPLYING THE SAY IT JUST RIGHT MODELDECISION POINTSDave weighs the costs. Dave enjoys Roberta’s flirt<strong>at</strong>ions. Eventhough she makes him uncomfortable because he’s not sure how torespond, he likes the <strong>at</strong>tention. She singles him out to discuss importantbusiness decisions. She implicitly trusts him. Dave likes his job.The company is growing and Roberta rewards him with salary bonuses
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