ASK REAL GUYS

A Guy I Work with...

Dear ASK REAL GUYS: A guy I work with has been hinting that he's interested in asking me out. I am not interested in him at all. I really don't want this to get in the way of our work, and he is a nice guy, just not for me. Suggestions for how to make this as painless as possible?

Steven: As we all know mixing business with pleasure can sometimes be a mistake. If your workmate is interested and he does ask you out you can easily reply that you prefer not to date people that you work with and tell him that you would appreciate him respecting that. Express to him that you don't want this to affect your working relationship and you hope that you can remain friends, it just isn't right for you. If this continues and you start to feel awkward you can always consult with your HR professional to ask questions on how to handle the situation, as their might be some sexual harassment policies within your organization that you want to be informed about. Remember to not make assumptions, his "hinting" might not mean he is interested.

Being upfront, honest and open with people can always reduce the pain of a lot of difficult conversations.