Assalaamu alaykum brother,
I cannot really say what is sinful and what is not---I hope someone with more knowledge can answer you.
In Islam every action is determined by its intention. If you look /talk to a woman for work related issues, that is fine. I am not too sure about what brothers do but I will share an experience with you which as I sister I appreciated. There was a new mosque that opened up in a city which is like ten minutes away from where I live. This is like no other mosque I have ever seen, it has many programs and gym which is open for sisters. As you can imagine, I was beyond excited to visit there and frequent my visits. I met a brother there who volunteered to give me a tour to the sisters' gym---(note that he had the keys). While he was informing me of their programs and services, he lowered his gaze. Now, lowering the gaze was not like "staring down at his shoes!!" it was more like looking past me, looking down, looking up fort like a second---basically keeping the eyes occupied.
As a sister, I was impressed in a good way alhamdulillah. I was glad that there is a Muslim man who is taking his Deen serious, and I felt like I was not the center of attention and that he was truly interested in informing me rather than "seeking" me. So, as long as you keep it halal and keep your distance, you shall be fine and no that ALL women would appreciate for a man to LISTEN to them rather than LOOK at them. So, think about it that way.
