“Today, I’m back at work part-time on health “Between, grounds. This allows me to receive follow-up care What I think, on the side to continue my recovery. (...) What I want to say, I was warmly welcomed at work straight away. What I think I’m saying, My managers had been made aware and when What I say, I returned I wanted to tell people about what I’d What you want to hear, just experienced so that I could put the illness What you think you hear, behind me immediately. For many people, I’m What you hear, the same as before, but with others I feel a What you want to understand, certain unease or distance...” What you understand, “He’s in our team and he’s coming back soon. There are ten ways we may have We’d like to welcome him as well as we can but difficulty communicating.” we don’t know what to say or how to behave. Encyclopédie du savoir relatif et absolu, “We’re afraid of causing offence. How can we Bernard Werber, Albin Michel, 1993 show our concern without stigmatising him or overdoing it? “I have to answer the team’s questions. And I have my own questions too. As a manager, how do I deal with his situation? We all have to move forward. We’re expected to perform. I don’t want to be insensitive. How do I do it?” 2