{
  "id": 13632273,
  "title": "Soll ich sagen, wenn es mir schlechtgeht? Über Offenheit im Büro",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/soll-ich-sagen-wenn-es-mir-schlechtgeht-uber-offenheit-im-buro",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-11T03:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/soll-ich-sagen-wenn-es-mir-schlecht-geht-ueber-offenheit-im-buero-ld.10026107"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The workplace is not the place for airing every aspect of one's personal life. However, hiding true feelings can do no one any favors – least of all oneself. In a job interview I once attended, I knew exactly how to present myself. Yet, two nights before, I had experienced the most intense night of my life. I had taken a friend through a mental health crisis and ultimately to the psychiatric ward. The shock of the event lingered, yet I tried to remain professional during the conversation. I answered questions, smiled, and discussed my strengths. I advanced to the next round. In the second interview, a manager asked why I had seemed melancholy during the first interview. Upon explaining the reason, the manager asked: \"Why didn't you say anything in the first interview?\" I feared revealing the truth might diminish my chances of getting the job. Every day, we choose whether to keep silent or share something personal. Telling a boss about stressful weekends with children, announcing a divorce to colleagues, or mentioning financial troubles in the office are difficult conversations. It becomes clear that it depends on the overall openness we display, whether we have had positive experiences sharing personally, and who we are sitting across from. Personality also matters. Studies show that the personality factor best predicts how much someone will share. Trustworthy individuals tend to assume others have good intentions, act fairly, and deserve trust. They view openness as a chance for closeness rather than a risk. Researchers call this \"Disclosure Optimism\": the expectation that being open strengthens relationships. Nonetheless, many people still choose whether to disclose or withhold. Two cognitive biases drive this decision. The first, Impact Bias, leads us to overestimate how emotionally impactful future events will be. We might think we'd be ashamed for weeks after telling a coworker something embarrassing. The second, Omission Bias, suggests that a harm we cause by acting is perceived as worse than one caused by inaction. Researcher Leslie John found in her book \"Revealing\" that we focus on the risks of disclosure but rarely consider what silence can do. Those who make the leap to be open often come out ahead: enjoying more trust, deeper friendships and relationships – and even increased well-being. When deciding whether to disclose a personal or emotional matter, Leslie John recommends comparing the pros and cons of disclosure and silence in a four-field matrix. This particularly highlights the consequences of withholding, which we often overlook ourselves. Like in my case, I hadn't considered what could happen if I remained silent about the night I experienced. Managers should be aware of what they reveal. Concerned about their own credibility and perceived competence, many leaders withhold their emotions, failures, and personal challenges. Yet, those who communicate honestly appear less cold and unapproachable – and find it harder to win the trust of colleagues. A study by Leslie John and colleagues shows how managers are perceived when they reveal their weaknesses. Google manager presented two versions of a self-introduction video. In the first, he recounted 36 job applications and 35 rejections before joining Google. The second version omitted this part. Study participants were asked to imagine starting a new job and then meet a manager. Those who heard the video with the admission of failures were more motivated to work for them. Being open made the manager more inspiring. The workplace should not be where every aspect of one's private life spreads. More helpful is situational flexibility, the ability to adapt openness to the situation and the other person. Mastering this leads to trust without oversharing. As always in life, the right balance counts. Nicole Kopp is an organizational psychologist and co-founder of the consulting firm Gobeyond. Resilience is not a shield protecting against everything. Supervisors must abandon myths surrounding the concept. Over a third of employees are exhausted and cannot find time for leisure activities. Too much workplace stress is only one reason. Worse is when the job lacks meaning. Recent research commissioned by Swiss trade union Travail Suisse shows a mixed picture. Overall, workplace quality is rated higher than ten years ago, but more workers complain about stress.",
  "summary": "Der Arbeitsplatz ist nicht der Ort, an dem man sein gesamtes Privatleben ausbreitet. Doch wer sein wahres Befinden hermetisch abschirmt, tut niemandem einen Gefallen – am wenigsten sich selbst.",
  "key_points": [
    "Workplace is not ideal for airing every personal detail",
    "Silence on personal matters can be as impactful as disclosure",
    "Openness in managers increases trust and motivation"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Being open about personal struggles in the workplace requires situational flexibility to build trust without oversharing, and managers who model this behaviour can appear more inspiring and approachable to their colleagues.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}