Workplace friendships can improve the environment and productivity, but responsibilities and expectations need to be well and clearly managed.
While work friendships can be a valuable resource, they can also be a source of conflict. Knowing how to navigate the work of your friends and colleagues is important for maintaining a good workplace, but how do you manage the boundaries of these relationships in the workplace?
Different from colleagues and friends
It’s easy to form relationships with colleagues in the workplace, but it’s important to remember that the roles of friend and colleague rarely overlap. Work environments are often governed by professional and hierarchical rules that can interfere with individuality, equality and the poor communication that can foster friendships. It is therefore important to understand the culture of the work you work in and the colleagues you interact with: this way you will be able to gauge when your workspace and your friendship have become separate and perhaps even more essential for a direct and more intimate relationship.
Be transparent and communicate clearly
Having clear communication with the colleagues you feel closest to is important to avoid misunderstandings. For example, knowing exactly when to talk to a friend and when to talk to a colleague can help to avoid misunderstandings. Separating communication (emails for work-related matters and private messages for personal matters) makes it easier to distinguish between roles.
Resolving friendship and responsibility issues
Friendship between employees works best when one of them plays the best role. In these situations, it is important to understand the strength of the energy and emotions of other colleagues and not to play favorites. For example, if a job requires confidentiality, it is important to explain this to others so that they do not feel the pain of not being able to learn information that is not confidential. This maintains trust between the two parties.
Don’t rush into a friendship
Friendship should not be rushed. It is a good idea to take the time to get to know your employees before deciding to share personal information or make deep connections. This can help you get a better idea of whether this person is a good friend even outside of work.
