Thoughts on Office Friendships - Pros and Cons

Office friendships can be a complex matter, and there are arguments both for and against friendships in the workplace. In this article, I describe some of the pros and cons of office friendships.

Pro #1 of Office Friendships - Friends
A typical employee might spend about a third of his or her waking hours at the office. Ignoring weekends, this figure comes to about half. With a time distribution like this, it becomes clear that having office friends is nice. It's nice to have people to chat with during lunch breaks, it's nice to have people to talk to at office functions, and it's nice to really know a handful of coworkers.

Pro #2 of Office Friendships - Collaboration
Friends tend to be on the same wavelength more often than acquaintances are. With regard to a work environment, office friends may be able to work together more effectively than two or three individuals that do not know each other well. If you are in an office that requires significant collaboration with others, developing good working relationships with your coworkers is extremely important.

Pro #3 of Office Friendships - Networking
Networking is important for many reasons, and people that put forth effort to be friends with coworkers are likely to have a much stronger network. Having friends at work might mean that you have a few extra hands during a move, being able to ask for a ride to work if your car doesn't start one day, or having references for future jobs. Remember though - having a network means giving back as well.

Pro #4 of Office Friendships - It Reflects Well on You
Employees that are kind to others and have friends because of it are desirable employees. They promote healthy office dynamics and stand out because of their attitudes. If layoffs occur, these individuals are more likely to retain their positions. If promotions occur, these individuals are prime candidates for advancement.

Con #1 of Office Friendships - Negative Cliques
Some office friendships, though, can reflect poorly on employees. Office politics is an unfortunate reality in many workplaces. Being friends with certain coworkers may mean being dragged into these issues against one's will. If this is a concern of yours, beware those in the office that are critical of other employees and spread gossip.

Con #2 of Office Friendships - Intrusion
Sometimes it is nice to keep some distance between oneself and one's coworkers. For example, there are some issues that individuals may prefer to keep to themselves than to share with others. Sometimes office friends become more curious about these issues than would be desired, which can lead to awkward situations. Establish boundaries and remain firm if this is the case.

Con #3 of Office Friendships - Falling Out
If you establish a friendship with a coworker outside of work and then have a falling out with him or her, it can affect any work you do together and can potentially create a negative work environment. While this issue is normally considered with regard to office romance, the fact is that it is a possibility with office friendships as well.

Con #4 of Office Friendships - Change of Perspective
Good friends often know of the skeletons in each other's closets. Developing a close personal friendship with a coworker may change your perspective of that individual. As a result, it may become difficult to separate personal issues from professional ones. Again, this goes both ways.

The Bottom Line
While there are negatives that come with office friendships, or many friendships for that matter, it is better to have friends in the office than to be isolated for 40 hours a week. Do what you can to minimize the negatives of office friendships, by remaining objective and refusing to participate in gossip, for example, but remain open to building strong working relationships with your coworkers.

These friendships might be best kept in the office for a while, but with time, they may grow beyond that. The key is not to let office friendships affect your or your friends' work. With that in mind, things should turn out alright. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts on office friendships in the comments below.