I'm sorry I haven't accorded you enough respect, but you can't find me at fault for not realizing your status as an international relatioship expert! And here in our own town.

By the way, little Jack started "cotillion" tonight. Sounds like you'd be an excellent......well chaperone!

Yeah, well, as I implied in the story, poor Georgie was obviously getting desperate and dealing with a looming deadline to use me as an "expert" on this subject.

And Jack is gonna have to fend for himself; I have a hard enough time keeping up with me!

I read your old article you linked to. I'm commenting on it here - I hope that's not too distracting...
I agree that the "appearance of impropriety" can be as bad for one's reputation as some actual improprieties. But I wonder about how far it makes sense to go in order to avoid the appearance.

Avoiding an elevator because there's a woman in it seems extreme. Though, for a person who's a public figure because of his authority on religion, I can see where it makes sense. He'd be quite a target for that kind of thing.

I'm curious what kind of negative reactions you've had due to your caution. Do the women in question take offense? I'd expect that some would take your caution as an accusation that they might make false claims against you. Or that you don't trust yourself to behave. Moreso with women you've known for a while than with the first couple of interactions.

But then, if you start a business relationship avoiding that type of situation, and at some point relax the rule - that point would only magnify the "appearance of impropriety". You'd be saying, "now that we know each other better, we can be alone in private..." That's worse.

So - to get to the point - does this policy of yours cause you trouble?

BB, I agree that this "policy" can be taken to extremes. For example, I don't go out of my way to avoid getting on an elevator alone with a woman, but I can understand how a public figure who's an easy target for claims of impropriety might see that as a smart thing to do. (This issue cuts both ways, gender-wise.)

But to answer your questions about the reaction to my personal stance...there's been none, one way or the other. I don't make a big deal about it. I just say that my workspace doesn't make a suitable meeting place, and suggest that we meet at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble (if the client doesn't have an office). Up to this point, that suggestion has been received quite well. Plus, that's my practice with male clients as well. A lot of them are freelancers like me, without offices, and they're used to meeting with their clients in places like that.

The fact that the nature of my work doesn't require much face-to-face time with clients makes this issue pretty simple and painless to deal with. If that aspect ever changed, I'd have to get a "real" office.

I think it comes down to a question of respect. I respect my clients, both personally and professionally, and I don't want them to feel uncomfortable around me in any situation. I think people sense and understand that, and react positively to it.

Wallace and Eric, my older boy was also at cotillion last night, and a finer-looking assembly of boys and girls you couldn't ask for. Well-behaved, too, for the most part ... there was that exuberant exchange between a boy and a girl during the Mexican hat dance :-)

I think something like cotillion - now - might help address - in the future - some of the issues raised in your original post, Eric.

And I agree with Wallace ... Eric would make a good chaperone ... at least until he tried the Mexican hat dance!