You try to brush it off, but you cannot help but feel excluded. During a recent meeting, one of your colleagues was sharing their screen. You could not help but look at the open chat window. The internal chat system is something you all use for quick messages when an e-mail is too formal. However, you find out that three of your other coworkers have a group chat called "The Official Dream Team." It seems strange that you have been left out, given that you work for a very small startup company with only five full-time employees.

You brought up your concerns about the group chat during the meeting and thought that would be the end of it. However, the very next day, they all started laughing randomly. You realized it was something they had been talking about on their group chat. Perhaps this would have been less upsetting if it were the only instance in which they had excluded you. You wonder, are they intentionally excluding you? The CEO was even present during the meeting and did nothing, so is it worth bringing up the issue again? Or should you just leave the company altogether?

Questions

• Do you believe the other team members' behavior is acceptable or exclusionary? Explain.
• If you were faced with this situation, how would you handle it? Would you bring up the issue again, say nothing, or leave the company?