Acknowledge their question with a vague response, channel your inner teenager with one word answers
BE VAGUE
Politicians are masters at using a question to bridge into tangential topics they want to talk about instead
REDIRECT TO ANOTHER TOPIC
Use humor to let your boss off the hook and defuse any tension in the room, but avoid sarcasm
RESPOND WITH A JOKE
Pretend like they never asked the personal question and carry on the conversation
IGNORE THEIR QUESTION
Silence makes everyone uncomfortable, so include long, awkward pauses when answering personal questions
USE SILENCE
Turn the tables with "Why do you ask" to call attention to the personal nature of their question
ANSWER WITH A QUESTION
When avoiding the question doesn't work, sometimes you need to respond directly with "That is a little too personal"
CONFRONT THE QUESTION DIRECTLY
Meet in private and calmly ask them to stop, using recent examples of inappropriate topics
ASK THEM TO STOP
When your boss asks personal questions, deal with it yourself and don't bring the issue to HR - it won't work out in your favor
DEAL WITH IT YOURSELF
LEARN TO SUCCEED
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