Guys, I’m in a bit of a dilemma today and wanted some perspective. So, a colleague of mine recently moved into the apartment next to mine for work. We’re just acquaintances...and I kind of see him like a younger brother (appreciate his squirrel energy).
Today he didn’t show up to work and HR asked me to collect his office ID etc. That already made me think something was off (either he resigned or got let go). But when I went over and knocked, he took a while to open the door. And when he finally did, it was pretty obvious he had been crying ...puffy eyes, tears, the whole thing.
In that moment, my brain kind of froze. I didn’t know what the “right” thing to do was...and calculated for a sec: do I acknowledge it and ask directly like any normal human would? Or do I ignore it so I don’t make him uncomfortable or hurt his male ego?
I ended up just asking if he was alright, took the cards and left. Now I'm wondering if I should’ve offered to talk? Or was giving him space the better move?
Curious what others think (especially from a guy’s perspective). What would you have expected/appreciated in this situation?