Maria Zahra

Can colleagues also be friends?

The answer is yes, why not? Friendship is all about a mutual feeling between people. This feeling can be that of empathy, honesty, understanding, trust or compassion. I believe that if two or more persons at the place of work can share these feelings, then they can also be friends. Ultimately, these characteristics are also those that are found within a team environment.

What are the personal advantages and disadvantages of nurturing a friendship with a colleague?

It can be tedious to go to the workplace on a daily basis and being around people you cannot trust. Having friends around you and spending your lunch breaks with them makes the office environment more fun. Stress levels become lower as people have fun on the job and therefore productivity may be increased. Creating friendship makes employees more at ease.

Moreover, we tend to spend more time at the workplace than anywhere else, so a friendly work environment is very important for our well-being. Colleagues are really your second family because we spend most time with them outside of home.

By having friends at the workplace, employees need not worry about fitting in into the office culture and environment, and thus can focus much more on their work. Making friends at the workplace also makes it easier for people to be productive.

And what are the advantages and disadvantages to a company?

Lack of trust among employees or a competitive work environment where backstabbing is the order of the day would challenge team spirit. Workplace friendships can facilitate and overcome the challenges of a difficult work environment. Another advantage is definitely the element of communication. It would create an environment where managing conflict and taking decisions are enhanced.

Making friends at the workplace also makes it easier for people to be productive

Disadvantage is when friends fall out. This may very easily disrupt the workplace and lead to problems for employers.

What inspires authentic relationships between colleagues?

It’s the whole work environment that inspires these relationships. If top management does not encourage a team spirit, then it is rather difficult for relationships to be developed between colleagues. If the work environment allows space for this, colleagues can have the opportunity to get to know each other and build on trust, understanding and respect, thus allowing authentic relationships to grow.

How do authentic relationships help to resolve conflict at work?

Authentic relationships help resolve conflict through listening, trust, transparency and honesty between colleagues. These also help in facilitating communication at the workplace, higher morale and greater creative collaboration, which help resolve conflict at work.

What’s the difference between authentic work relationships and office politics?

Office politics can be both positive and negative. These are strategies that people employ in order to gain advantage at the workplace. You may do it with the scope of outsmarting your colleagues, whereas there are others who do it for a good cause and to promote themselves. Negative office politics is about seeking that advantage at the expense of others: this is exactly what authentic work relationships are not.

Can people be trained to develop authentic relationships or is this an innate skill?

This is just like any kind of friendship: you either click with a person or you don’t. However, I do believe that social activities and team building exercises can help colleagues get to know each other and thus allow room for authentic relationships to develop.