One day, we were goofing around in the office. Everyone was trading wisecracks and poking fun at each other, me included. At some point, I playfully gave one of my colleagues a kick up the backside. Just a little one, all in good fun. We burst into laughter and eventually got back to work.
Harm
This happened years ago. My then colleague is one of my good friends today. The kick didn’t harm our relationship – if anything, it strengthened it. But it does cross my mind from time to time. Like this week, when I read my colleague PD’s article about the annual report issued by the UM confidential adviser for students. She received 66 reports of inappropriate behaviour in 2022, ranging from remarks that were not meant to be offensive to sexual misconduct.
The kick was meant to be all in good fun, but my colleague could’ve taken offence. I wouldn’t do something like that today. The world has changed, and so have I. I’ve become much more aware of how my behaviour may affect other people, no matter how harmless I feel it is. I keep this in mind and my colleagues do, too.
Overly cautious
But some of them think I’m overly cautious at times. Like the other day, when a female student came in to discuss an article with one of our male colleagues. We didn’t have any free rooms, so they sat down in the small layout room where we literally put together our print newspaper every Wednesday. There’s not a lot of space in there. After a few minutes I got stressed, thinking about how professors never close their office door when meeting with students to avoid any accusations or allegations.
Puzzled faces
The door to the layout room was closed. I knocked and came up with an excuse to open it: wasn’t it too hot in there? Should I leave the door open? The question was met with two puzzled faces. They were engrossed in their work and wanted to finish it in peace and quiet. No, it wasn’t too hot, the window was open – please leave the door closed.
Careful
Afterwards, my behaviour was discussed in the office kitchenette. Have I become overly cautious? Then again, you can never be too careful in dealing with others, can you? We didn’t reach a conclusion. But later, when the same colleague had to discuss another article with the same student, I let them use my larger office and spent half an hour working in the small layout room myself. Personally, I’d rather be too careful.