The Myth of the Corporate Godfather and Why Work Dating is a Hard No

I have never dated anyone at work—not my colleagues, not members of other teams, and definitely not any of my bosses. So when people say, "I didn’t have a godfather in the industry," I ask you: "Who actually does?" Every corporate employee is a one-person army, figuring things out over the course of their career. 

I come from a defense background, raised in a family of Army, Merchant Navy, and Air Force professionals. None of them understand what I do; they scratch their heads whenever I talk about Corporate Communications, Public Relations, or Content Marketing. The same goes for software engineers, advertising professionals, and almost every other current career path. Most likely, our parents and ancestors never even dreamed of the fields their children work in today. 

When it comes to not having a "godfather," the reality is that no one does. We are all truly self-made and deserve a pat on the back every now and then. That being said, it is crucial to keep your head out of the clouds and stay firmly grounded. The higher you rise, the kinder you must become. It is that simple. Otherwise, you will just be remembered as a terrible human being rather than a Vice President or a CEO. 

Circling back to the topic of workplace dating, I have mostly worked with older, balding men and the occasional attractive woman, so I never really had the opportunity to live out those fantasies. More importantly, I am not sure anyone should indulge in romantic relationships with the very person responsible for their performance appraisals and promotion discussions. For me, that is a hard no today, and it will remain a hard no for as long as I am part of the workforce.