4 Tips For Making Friendship At The Office While Keeping Relationships Professional

Illustration (Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Establishing friendships with colleagues can make your days at work more enjoyable. Especially if you have difficulty liking your world of work now. So, start getting closer to them. How?

"Imagine your workplace as one of the best places to make friends because you will often meet these people," said Shasta Nelson, Friendship Coach and Writer of The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of the Relationships Where We Speak Most of Our Time

Shasta recommends staying open-minded and taking opportunities to connect with people whenever possible. Because it could be that you will find friends in unexpected places, either in teams, other departments, or even when interacting with clients or vendors.

That friend is about getting to know people slowly and gradually. You can start light talks and simple conversations. That helps you find similarities and mutual interest.

Don't worry trying to have in-depth conversations while making friends at work. The important thing is to do it gradually and share a little about yourself too.

"Make sure other people also recognize yourself by sharing ideas, opinions and stories about you," Nelson suggested, quoted by Very Well Mind, Tuesday, January 30.

Currently, remote or hybrid jobs are more in demand after the pandemic. Long-distance work does offer many benefits. However, one of the drawbacks is that it is increasingly difficult to find work friends. While working in the office can help you meet colleagues and connect with them.

Work relationships are often transactional, which can cause relationships to become shallow or rigid. For this reason, prioritize reciprocity and generosity to help you connect with colleagues at a more personal level.

"Requesting support and offering assistance to colleagues will open a more vulnerable line of communication, creating fertile land where friendship can thrive," Nelson said.

The goal is to show people they can count on you and let them support you in return.

Remember, you don't have to be friends with everyone at work. Not everyone matches you and that doesn't matter. The stage of exploring friendship with someone at work aims to find out if he is suitable or not for you, or vice versa and this is not a problem.