How to Make Friends at Your Workplace
Getting along with your coworkers is important at any job, and becoming friends is even better. It isn’t just good for team morale but has actually been proven to make you more focused and better at your job.
Without any meaningful connections, work can be isolating, stressful and lonely. You have no one to vent to about your crazy work week or even take a quick coffee break with.
It can also be an issue if you’re experiencing any sort of harassment or safety issues in the workplace. If you’re being bullied by someone or are being forced to perform unsafe work, it’s good to know you have at least someone in the office to turn to. Without anyone looking out for your rights in the workplace, you can feel totally isolating.
Making friends isn’t always easy, especially if you’re new or a bit of an introvert.
Here are a few tips on how to connect with your coworkers.
Keep it Positive
When laying the foundation for friendship, it’s best to keep things positive. For the initial conversations try to keep it light and lay off the whining. If you find your coworkers tend to lean towards the negative, try and balance it out by having three positive conversations for every negative one.
Genuinely Listen
Take some time to really listen to the conversations happening around you and what interests your coworkers have. Try and find similarities and then when you’re starting to have those conversations make sure you're actively listening to your coworkers.
Be Helpful
If you’re ever approached for help at your job, always try to say yes. This will give you a good reputation around the office as being someone coworkers can rely on. Also, try performing some random acts of kindness. Bring in some cookies for everyone or leave a thank you note when someone has helped you.
Don’t Push It
Forcing a relationship to work is the best way not to make friends. Meaningful relationships should progress over time and develop naturally. While you can take the steps mentioned above to initiate the process, don’t become pushy or you’ll end up even more stressed than before.
You spend a lot of time at your job, so having people around you that you can trust and enjoy working with is important. This is especially important if your workplace isn’t always fair. If you are dealing with poor safety practices, unfair wages or a boss who is a bully, knowing you have coworkers to turn to can definitely relieve stress.
We're here to help
Do you have any questions about your rights in the workplace or need someone to talk to about your job stress? Contact one of our free labour counsellors at (403) 259-4608 or info@loveyourjob.ca.
Respect At Work
