Socializing in the Office
29
20 ธันวาคม 2013
Friendships in the workplace can be rewarding, but only if both parties understand exactly where personal and professional interests begin and end. Unfortunately, that's not always easy to determine.
The past several decades have brought many changes to the workplace: technological advances, alternative work schedules, flatter organizations, and kinder, gentler hierarchies.
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Friendships in the office.
Today, the focus is less directed towards machinery, and more focused on working with people. Interpersonal relationships at the workplace have grown. Many companies realize that socializing makes the work environment nicer. And the happier employees are, the nicer they are to clients.
But each advance confuses the definition of appropriate relationships in the workplace. Socializing with co-workers is much more difficult to manage in today's more casual, less hierarchical office.
When workplace friendships are positive, they make the work more interesting and fulfilling. They add a new facet of loyalty, commitment and purpose to life.
Employees solve problems by turning to friends in the workplace, as opposed to colleagues. And very often, office friendships lead to promotions. Statistics show that 40 percent of the population in the United States got their job through someone they knew. On Wall Street, that figure hovers around 60 percent.
In general, camaraderie leads to greater success at work. And boss / subordinate friendships are very rewarding when they grow out of work-related interests.
But not all workplace friendships are without hazards for an organization. Especially not if both parties fail to recognize the sort of challenge that a workplace relationship brings about.
Sometimes it is difficult to define what's appropriate and what's not. If a line has been crossed, then very often there's no going back. When the whispers start, teamwork stops! And then it's already too late. The personal relationship gone sour has already had a negative impact on the organization.
And the fine line between being friendly and being flirty can easily develop into something less innocuous. Letting things get out of control here may leave offended parties with only one recourse: sexual harassment laws.
So, although workplace friendships can be very positive, the golden rule is ... when in doubt, keep your distance.