Being in an office environment is one of the easiest ways to make friends when you’re an adult. You’ve ended up at the same place for a reason so you already have something in common! But is making friends with your colleagues always a good idea?
I have had many friendships at work; some good, some bad and some ugly. In fact, it’s how Cat (my co-blogger) and I met! We both worked at the same company for 3 years, yet we lived in different countries the entire time. That was over 10 years ago. Which just goes to show how easy it is to maintain friendships too.
But not all those work friendships ended up the same way. Just because you work at the same company doesn’t mean you should be friends. I’ve experienced office arguments, backstabbing and ALL the drama.
Let’s start with all the good points of having a work buddy.
The Pros To Having Friends At Work
- Firstly they make your work life 10000000% better, let’s be honest. We should all send our work best buds a little thank you text to remind them how great they are. Having them around can make the day go quicker and feel less like ‘work’.
- If you need them to turn something around ASAP for a top client, they are more likely to be willing to help you out. And I am sure they would call in that favour when it’s due. These difficult conversations can be easier to have with someone you feel more comfortable with and have a good rapport.
- As humans, we actually NEED friends, it’s healthy for us. Whether they are work colleagues or not, we need friendship in our life to be happier and more content. Read Mayo Clinics full list of all the benefits of having friends.
- Have you ever tried to explain to a non-work friend why Brian in the office is getting on your nerves because he keeps going back and forth on the project timelines? Yeah those non-work friends just don’t get it right? Whereas your work buddy understands how frustrating Brian is. They get what you are going through and can relate more. It feels good to be understood.
- Chances are you will have lots of things in common and this is great if you want to bounce ideas of someone and work through solutions together. Kinda like Batman and Robin.
- After work drinks anyone? You can always rely on your bestie for this one!
- When people get along it creates a really nice working atmosphere in the office for everyone.
The Cons To Having Friends At Work
- If your work BFF leaves, it can feel like a mini break up. Even though you will be happy for them, it can really suck for you. Make sure you’re not solely reliant on your friend for your work happiness.
- You don’t want to get involved with office politics or drama, but when they are your friend it can be difficult to tell them to leave you out of it, as they will assume you have their back. Stay away from gossip and getting involved in other people’s problems as this only reflects badly on you.
- Being friends can actually make it harder to have difficult conversations at work. particularly if you are their manager or vice versa. Trying to separate your feelings and friendship and switch to professional conversations isn’t easy and can result in bad feelings.
- You run the risk of becoming a ‘clique’. And potentially shutting other people out. Other colleagues may not want to get to know you or feel like they can’t because someone else is always there. Your work colleagues might not want to tell you things for risk that you will tell your work bestie.
- A work friend can be fun, but they can also be very distracting. Which can be detrimental to your work and potentially your career.
- If your friendship doesn’t work out, it can make your work life very awkward and potentially difficult. It creates an uncomfortable office atmosphere too which is not fun for anyone to be around.
Despite the cons of making friends at work, in my opinion it is still a must! For your mental health and day to day enjoyment. However, with this type of friendship you do need to tread more carefully as you’re still in a professional environment, and you’re there to do a job at the end of the day.
If you already have a best friend at work, that’s great! Do you have co-workers that make you want to pull your hair out though? If so, read our post; How To Deal With Annoying Co-Workers for all the advice you need!
If you’re still on the fence about having a work BFF, no worries, there are actually plenty of other ways to make new friends, read my post: How To Easily Make Friends In Your Thirties.
Amber x