We spend a lot of time at work. How much is a lot? According to Reference.com, “about one-third or 30 percent of human life is spent working.”
So, what are some things that make work, well, work?
Both Forbes and Small Business note that relationships with colleagues and office culture rank high on the list. Friendships, office banter, and coffee breaks fill us up with all the good feelings. But remember: while you’re busy keeping your workplace relationships fun and fulfilling, you should also keep them professional.
Below, find easy-to-follow dos and don’ts for keeping things on the up and up with your office husbands, work wives, and cubicle compatriots.
Professional Friendships Tip 1: Be Inclusive
Be nice to the new kid! Make sure that your new colleague is on the invite list for office outings, happy hours, and the like.
Professional Friendships Tip 2: Don't be a mean girl (or boy)
If you’re planning some out-of-the-office quality time with a handful of work besties, be sure that you're out of earshot of others while you're planning. Don't send event invites to a work email address when not all colleagues are invited, share photos on a work platform (group email, Slack, etc.), or bring up inside jokes about out-of-office events that involved some colleagues but not others.
Pro Tip: Don't hog the shared space! Everyone should feel comfortable having lunch in the kitchen, getting caffeinated by the coffee pot, or hanging out on the shared couch. So don't commandeer shared space for your gossip session.
Professional Friendships Tip 3: Connect on a deeper level
No need to restrict it to work-only chatter. Times have changed and many organizations are embracing a “whole-self workplace.” In other words, what you do while you're at work is only a small part of who you are. Don't be scared to share some of your personal story with coworkers. This will not only benefit your office relationships, it may benefit your work, as well. According to TED speaker Margaret Heffernan, “What drives [workplace] helpfulness is people getting to know each other.”
Professional Friendships Tip 4: Don't be a bummer
Conversing with colleagues only when you want to vent, particularly if you do it in a public space, gets old real fast.
Another guaranteed way to be the least-liked person in the office? Gossip. While you may feel like you’re connecting in solidarity by complaining, you’re actually contributing to a toxic atmosphere and building faux-friendships.
In her “The Anatomy of Trust” Super Soul Session, scholar, author, and TED presenter Brené Brown notes that “many of us use [gossip] as a way to ‘hot wire’ a connection with a friend, but that intimacy isn’t real—it’s counterfeit trust.”
As the Associate Director of Editorial and Career Content at Idealist and a lifelong nonprofit professional, Alexis offers job seekers, game changers, and do gooders actionable tips, career resources, and social-impact advice.