Friendship at work - is it a good idea?

Work relationships have a strong influence on the well-being and commitment of employees. In a friendly atmosphere, it is much easier to achieve better efficiency and joint success. And while it's worth having friends at work, keeping relationships on the right track can be quite challenging.

Is there a friendship at work?

There is no unequivocal answer to the question of whether friendship at work exists. Much depends on the person, and whether we work in one company is not always an indicator of how strong and true a given relationship will be. There are usually two opinions among employees that may be encountered when discussing friendship at work.

However, it may happen that at work we meet people who stay with us for years. It turns out that we have many common interests, and we also get along well after work. Even when one of the employees leaves the office, nothing changes because spending time together is the greatest pleasure. As we have already mentioned, we spend a lot of time at work. Therefore it is often one of the few places where we can make new friends, and we use it. We are lucky to have honest and genuine people around us who can be relied on. Much here depends on the disposition and approach to such relationships. Someone may assume in advance that he likes his colleagues very much, but he has friends outside of work and separates these spheres of his life with a thick line. Of course, she has every right to do so. However, some people happily combine professional and private life, and in the end, it is good for them.

As you can see, it is impossible to say for sure if there is a friendship at work, but it is not worth getting discouraged and assuming in advance that all colleagues are smiling people who would not hesitate to stab us in the back if necessary. If we come to the workplace with this conviction, it's no wonder that building relationships is not our best.

Friendship at work - pros and cons

Friendship, also on a professional basis, has many advantages. A friend makes you feel more confident, and a good mood in the team is an important motivator - it translates into employee satisfaction and the quality of task performance.

A friendly atmosphere at work makes the performance of duties more pleasant. Knowing that you can get support from others in difficult times, everyone respects each other and plays to the same goal, which really helps. The vision of drinking a coffee together, joking during a break, or the opportunity to discuss professional and private problems motivate.

Friendship at work, however, can have many faces. It happens that a person who begins to become familiar with others does it for purely selfish reasons. Manipulates and combines friendship with the benefits that result from a closer relationship, e.g., with the boss. He often counts on unequal treatment, that it will be perceived better, more appreciated, but not because of its results, but because of personal relationships.

Is there a friendship in the workplace?

Although skeptics believe that there is only a false friendship at work and that it is impossible to establish a close bond when it comes to ambition and money, healthy relationships based on honesty are possible. The bond established at work often spills over to non-work conditions. Holidays, parties, and outings will be combined for many years.

Friendship at work makes you feel better and allows you to relive difficult moments. However, for it to survive for years, it must be constantly nurtured and mutually supported. You also have to reckon with the fact that she will face more than one trial. A friend's promotion, transfer to another department, or even a dismissal, or even small successes, can either strengthen the relationship or eradicate it. When friends stop trusting each other, accusations and intrigues arise, it is often difficult to rebuild a bond. Prolonged misunderstandings and a tense atmosphere may even cause one person to leave the company. When a friendship ends, it is a big challenge to separate feelings from professionalism and performance.

Risks

The emergence of a friendship at work is always accompanied by a well-founded fear of possible rumors and gossip about the relationship. Conversations about work events between friends may be based on similar uncertain information, i.e., on hearsay gossip and superficial observations. All this is not conducive to the correct assessment of the situation and may become a leaven of conflict in a wider group. How far are friends willing to go in their conversations and interpretations of events in the plant?

Another issue is the time we spend with a friend at work. Even if it is not related to non-compliance