Business etiquette - When does personal become private?

There is an article in today (6/26/07) in The Wall Street Journal about the guy in the office or workplace that nobody knows what he/she "does" or anything about them. Their workspace is bland, nothing is on the walls, there is no picture of a girlfriend, wife or family and no sports pennants hang in view. The non-personal worker. People in the office do not know about this person's private life because he/she chooses not to ingratiate him/herself into the workplace. They stay away from everybody else when they can, i.e. reading in the stairwell, napping during lunch break or even just deflecting or avoiding inquisition into their personal details.

The other side, in my opinion is far worse. I don't want to hear of your failing relationship, your sick brother or that painfully unfunny joke. I hate to shoot the shit with colleagues that know next to nothing about which they proclaim intimate knowledge. Your baby is not cute and I don't really want to catch a lame drink and talk more about work because you are too uninteresting to talk about anything else. Talking about work is personal for these people. And disguising the undying pretense of company loyalty is nauseating. Say what you mean! People are not made to be happy slaving away making money for big shots. So be honest and stop telling me about how early and late you arrive and leave on friday before a long weekend. Gimme a f'n break.

In a work environment, it is easy to work with colleagues that you get along with but it is undeniably harder to get work done when you get along too well (unless you work in a world where the work you do is fun and then this blog topic wouldnt appeal to you because work must be awesome! Moving on...). I keep non-work to myself and usually work away from friends and family. I don't like to talk about my wife (don't have one), my family or my weekend binge with anyone to judge my lifestyle unacceptable for the company standard. And what is that? Why should the company have any control over my image after I leave the office? Well, they do, and that's a fact. So I keep it away. And now an article chastises those of us that don't put our personal identities out there for colleagues to judge? And I am wrong? No way. Companies need to learn to respect and protect employee's personal identities in the workplace without using their wish for privacy as an excuse for denying promotions. Since when did leaving your personal life, harm rather than help your standing in the office?