Hey guys, this post is a small departure from the content that I usually make. But recent events have caused me to rethink and re-evaluate how to go about conducting myself and how I operate with my superiors, the client support aspect, and even other people at work. I went through the unfortunate experience of losing a colleague. He was my direct report and we worked together side by side for three and a half years.
I noticed his health was on the decline after we returned to the office during covid; and while I professionally inquired about his well-being, I didn't want to be rude and "push" any further into his business, as I didn't wanna come-off as unprofessional.
I knew he wasn't being all the way truthful, but I didn't know what else to do. Fast forward, I noticed for a period of time, that he was breathing very heavily. It was labored and loud. My concern grew and when I would casually ask him how he was feeling, it was met with a nonchalant "I'm fine, I'm good" and nothing more. I continued to ignore any lingering questions I had, despite hearing his labored breathing continue.
The day came when he didn't come into the office as he wasn't feeling well, and while I didn't think much of him being out sick, I started to worry once I saw the e-mail going around that he was going into surgery, after he saw the doctor. He didn't return to the office for two weeks. When everyone asked me about him, I relayed what I knew and the immediate response to my statements were "what's he getting surgery for?" I couldn't tell them, as whenever I asked him if he was ok, (via text, I didn't feel comfortable calling) He replied right away, saying he "was good".
While that was his default response, I felt ashamed that he never wanted to disclose what was going on and I wasn't in a position to pry that type of information out of him. I continued to tell everyone what I knew so far, while silently worrying about how he was doing. It was the longest he had been out of the office and every passing day I was wondering if something had gone wrong during surgery, and was I going to hear some troubling news.
