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Workplace Friendships: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It's no surprise that many of us end up developing friendships with our co-workers. After all, we do spend 8+ hours a day with these people! While there is nothing wrong with making friends in the workplace, it is important to choose these friendships wisely and manage them properly. The friends you choose can be a direct reflection of you and can send a strong signal to your other co-workers about your attitude, work ethic and values.

Professional friendships can benefit everyone in the organization by promoting productivity and creating a supportive work environment. However, the same can't be said when workplace friendships go bad.

When workplace friends turn into enemies, a company loses much more than camaraderie. Broken friendships often lead to fighting, bickering, and tattling, all of which divert attention away from the job. On a small scale, broken friendships can destroy teams that need solid interpersonal relationships to function effectively. On a large scale, the lack of trust among employees can seriously damage organizational goals.

Here are some important guidelines to keep in mind when considering your workplace friendships:

Practice the Golden Rule: By treating those in your office the way that you would want to be treated, you will communicate your willingness to be a team-player. In short, use your manners.

Set clear boundaries: There should be a clear line drawn between friendships in and out of the office. It is your responsibility to make sure interactions during work time are professional and focused. Make sure that work is not secondary to being part of the office community.

Play fair: Be sure to equally support the strengths and weaknesses of your entire team in relation to how to best complete a task. Showing favoritism in the workplace can only foster negative feelings, which ultimately impact workplace morale and distract from the overall bottom line.

If you don't have anything nice to say, keep quiet: Spreading office gossip can not only deteriorate the quality of the workplace, but it can threaten to negatively impact your career. Be discreet about your friend's confidences, and think carefully about the type of information you choose to divulge.

While there are many pros and cons to fostering friendships with your co-workers, it is important to keep these relationships in the proper perspective. If you think your office friendship puts you or your friend in a compromising position on the job, talk about it. If necessary, withdraw yourself from situations that might be conflicts of interest.