Being Friends with Workmates
- Ten Velasco
- Oct 28, 2019
- 2 min read
Becoming friends with your coworkers can be a tricky thing. Having a friend at work means that you always have someone to rely on and a cheerleader who will surely cheer you up when you’re too stressed with work. But the thing is, being friends with them is not all about the good things. There are also some disadvantages. Competition is just one. So the question is, is it really a good thing to be friends with workmates? What are the pros and cons of being friends with colleagues?
PROS:
You have someone who understands your disappointments. Your workplace friend will always know the right things to say because it’s likely that they’re also going through something similar if your disappointments are work-related. When you face setbacks at work, your friend could act as an outlet for your anger, which lets you get back to your feet and back to work in no time.
You have someone who always got your back This can usually mean that they have your back no matter what the situation is. It’s more likely that they’ll understand it better than friends you have in your social circles outside of work. There are rarely any misunderstandings because your coworkers usually know the reason behind your anger and frustration.
Friendships Can Improve Work Productivity When you develop friendships, you also learn more about projects that may impact your work.
CONS:
Your other co-workers could have feelings of resentment towards your friendship As much as having someone in your corner is nice, when other people see your friend take your side during an argument, they could start considering negative feelings to both of you, which in turn, can result in workplace conflict.
Work can become an unprofessional environment when you friend a coworker Too much chit chat and not enough focus on the job can get you and your friend in trouble.
If you become friends with someone at work, remember to keep things professional at all times. Work comes first. It’s nice to have a support system with your friend, but avoid playing favorites or spending too much time doing things unrelated to your job.
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