Can Office Colleagues be Good Friends?

Many working adults spend a lot of time in the workplace rather than at home. Some spend 5 days for 8 hours or more at work and only a handful of hours at home to rest or bond with family and friends. Others have work even on the weekends, reducing their time to make friends outside the workplace.

Given this situation, it is a good idea to try creating bonds with office colleagues to make the work environment more comfortable and boost engagement. However, some recommend against making friends at work to separate work life from personal life and reduce the risk of competition and distractions affecting one’s performance.

Office colleagues can make great friends and change how you look at work and the people working alongside you. Personally, I have made a lot of great friends from work and a lot of them have become close confidantes throughout the years even when we do not work together anymore. In fact, 3 of them have become godparents to my children.

Here are some reasons why you should consider making your colleagues your friends:

Creates Trust In The Workplace

Befriending your coworkers can foster trust in the workplace, which is essential during project deadlines and team activities. If you understand them better, it will be easier for you to collaborate and become comfortable working with them. In turn, they will also be comfortable working with you.

Strong Friendships Can Boost Performance

Having work friends can also help you become more productive and motivated. If your company relies on teamwork most of the time to get projects done, befriending your colleagues will help you out immensely. It also helps you build a sense of accountability to your team, which can help your performance.

Work Friendships Help With Engagement

It can be difficult for many employees to be present at work while staying active. If one’s mind is not in the workplace, it can affect job satisfaction and productivity. Forming connections with your team may enable you to stay engaged and be a part of the team.

A Happy Work Environment Leads To A Healthier Body

Being friends with your coworkers can also help your overall health. Several studies have shown that if workers are in a happy work environment where their coworkers support them, they have a higher chance of staying fit and healthy than those in an oppressive work environment. Those in a poor working environment are found to have a high probability of dying early and becoming toxic to others, which in turn affects the entire team.

Like many friendships, building sound friendships at work will take time and effort. There will also be setbacks that you need to overcome. But, it can change the game not just for you but for your colleagues as well. Please proceed with caution as not all will be receptive to your efforts, and you need to focus when it is time to work. Once they see your sincerity and won’t be a distraction to their work, they will slowly open up and build the bonds that will be with you for a lifetime.

Networking is a tricky business. Either you are very good at it or you are not, but here are some tips to help you to become better at it:
Start Networking Even Though You Don’t Want To
6 Golden Tips to Build a Powerful Network Using LinkedIn
Guest Post: Networking As An Introvert

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