Work BFFs

Relationships@Work study revealed that 46% of professionals worldwide believe that work friends are important to their overall happiness.

Coworkers are vital for an 8 hour shift. I work in a call center (customer service) and if I didn’t have my coworkers present for that quick laugh/chat in between calls I would probably lose it. We make plans for after work, before work, lunch, days off, and weekends. We also share different career backgrounds, which makes conversations and networking that much more interesting. At the beginning of the month LinkedIn tweeted quick tips from making a cup of coffee for a coworker to celebrating their success.

I wanted to share my take on this and share a little of my own experiences with Work BFFs.

• Make coworkers your friends, but the same rule applies – wisdom: Just like everything in life… wisdom is KEY. Relationships of any type come with risk, work relationships are not the exception. One of these risk can very well be job loss, therefore is important to choose the people you are willing to share a “little more” with wisely. Choosing these takes time. So take your time choosing your work friends, not all coworkers need to be your friends, let alone your BFFs.
• Be careful with competition: A little competition never hurt anyone, but competition at work can be dangerous if we let it get to that level. Be careful with coworkers wanting to become your friend only to understand your strengths and weaknesses. I have personally not been hurt by this particular situation, but I have seen those individuals that wanted to become my friend just to see what I was planning to do next – career wise. Now don’t be paranoid but keep an eye out for cues and work related questions that you know are a little out of place.
• Work BFFs should become forever friends: Yes, I know, that’s what BFFs mean. But seriously. Now that you’ve chosen who gets the great title it’s time to invest in this friendship. Invest for a lifetime. I still maintain contact with coworkers who have chosen different career paths. It’s great to know people who do different things for a living. It builds your network, but most importantly you gain knowledge of other industries. Who knows maybe one day you can also change your career and join them!

I loved this post by Catherine Fisher “LinkedIn Study Reveals Work BFFs Make Us Happier at the Office” and made me think about those relationships at work. I wanted to share my spin on the subject. Check out the original post and share your comments!