Platonic to Romantic

There are many people you may come across in your personal and professional life that makes you stop and think that maybe there is potential for a romantic connection. It can be tricky converting this platonic connection to something deeper and more personal, especially if this person is someone you met from a work relationship. Before jumping into anything, think about the pros and cons of moving forward with this person. Would the risk be worth it? Do you believe they would reciprocate? What are the potential fall outs?

Ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Is it just attraction? Do they have the core values that are important to you in a partner? How often do you feel this way? Would the relationship make sense? If you ask yourself all of these questions and you feel strongly to move forward, find a way to see if this is something that would be reciprocated. Are there people you trust to help you investigate the situation to find out if they are single and even looking for a relationship? Maybe they are only attracted to a particular type that you don’t fit, whether it be age, ethnicity, religion, etc. If they are Jewish and only want to marry Jewish but you are Christian, it wouldn’t be worth the risk to jeopardize the professional or personal relationship.

If you did your homework and realized that you two are in fact a good match, find ways to spend more time with them. Maybe ask them to join a project you are working on or just need their opinion / advice on a particular situation. As you two become closer, share your desire to be in a relationship and paint them a picture of what dating you will be like. You’ll start planting the seed in their mind and you might find that they will ask you out! Find opportunities to spend time together at night as well where romance could blossom. You could try asking if they’d like to grab a glass of wine while chatting about a work or personal dilemma you’re in. After a drink or two, you both will loosen up and you can see if there is a romantic vibe there.

By not taking the slow approach, you could potentially create a hostile work environment or feel uncomfortable in a friend group. You never want to put yourself in a position that would reflect poorly on you. That’s why it’s important to take things slow and take your time to get to know someone. They might just be a fantasy you have in your head and after several conversations you’ll see that you’re not actually interested. You wouldn’t want to blow up your life for that!

Be brave but also be smart :)

xo,

AM