Throughout this story, replace "[YourCo]" with the name of your company.
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- Observers from within and outside [YourCo] now encourage employees to let workplace contacts grow into deeper friendships, noting that reluctance to bond with coworkers has costs not previously understood.
- Employees who stay aloof risk distrust, discomfort, and lack of support when it's most needed. For [YourCo], the price is workers who, studies show, will likely never commit fully to its success. Conversely, those with good friends at work are seven times more likely to be among [YourCo]'s top performers.
- You can strike up friendships of varied styles, from cordial colleagues to bosom buddies - they're all beneficial. The key is to be truly open to the prospect.
- As for tactics, those in the know say small talk's a big deal, and listening's even bigger. Draw co-workers out, then use common interests, shared viewpoints and mutual favors to build trust. But steer clear of cliques, "group-think" and obvious off-limits topics.
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Full story continues, with these subheads to keep
readers reading:
- Getting personal - or not
- Eyes wide open
- Making friends
For the rest, complete and return our Orders form. |
 I’d been on the operations staff at a leading manufacturer of shipping materials. One day, in my manager’s office on a routine matter, I noticed a photo of his smiling grade-school boy. I complimented him, adding I had a boy around that age. He asked, very pointedly, how mine did at school.Well, my son has a learning disability. I hesitated, but then told him so. His expression softened. ‘So does mine,’ he said. We began to talk…
In the months and years that followed, they kept talking. Sometimes about their sons, but mostly about the business. Barbara worked hard and well – and it was noticed.Today, she’s Operations Manager at her company.
Barbara hesitated. As many of us at [YourCo] might, a bit wary of crossing lines. Like her, we were probably taught as kids to share, be nice, make friends. Through adolescence, friends were the yardstick of how well we fit in. Then, when we entered the working world, the rules seemed suddenly changed: Be courteous, certainly, to coworkers; be respectful, always, of these colleagues with whom you may spend more waking time than family. But keep the personal and professional realms separate.
Wired for friendship. Now, though, that traditional view is yielding to research showing that workplace relationships are personal, and denying that fact can have far-reaching consequences for workers and companies alike. So, although moments of candor like Barbara’s might feel risky, there are compelling reasons for [YourCo] employees to reach out.
“Whether you call them your allies, buddies or even best friends,” says [YourCo HR executive], “it’s now clear that if you’re sharing trust and exchanging favors and mutual emotional support with co-workers, you’re far more likely to be engaged in your job. 
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