Friends@Work

Friends are usually something associated with things after work, but they also play a critical role with all things at work.  You’ve probably read from multiple sources that people don’t quit a job, they quit a boss.  This statement emphasizes the importance of relationships – both good and bad – and their effect on the time we spend a majority of our waking hours doing – our careers.  If you don’t have friends at work, something is amiss.

Just like your personal life, friendships at work are developed over time.  Time, there certainly is a lot of that at work!  People will default to relationships at work with their co-workers – either you will want to hang out with them more or try to avoid them altogether….and of course, there is somewhere in between.

It is often easy to see in your colleagues what they do on the other end of their commute.  It might be displayed on their office walls, it might be insight you get from water cooler conversations or before a meeting starts if they elaborate on the question “How was your weekend?”  If that question gets asked by you (or of you) every Monday, one of these days, if you have not already, you will elaborate. 

These discussions outside 8-5 will help us bond at work and truly make us more productive, even though the time is not chargeable!  Whether it is pictures of your kids on your desk or a picture of you on the summit of Everest – having those hints in your office or wearing them on your sleeve – will catapult you into developing deeper relationships with your peers.  All you have to do is ask.  I’m thankful to have several friends at work and to be able to share common hobbies with them outside of work.  It is things like these that help make it a career and not a job.

If you are going to thrive at work, friendships at work are a must.  We all have good and bad days and it sure helps to have someone there to help you through the bad ones before the workday is over.  This need became clearer to me after I did an interview with a comedian.  Yes, you read that right.  I was interviewed by John Garrett, (Recovering) CPA, for his podcast.  I heard John speak (and crack jokes) at the Boomer Summit last year in Kansas City.  John went from Big 4 to Big Laughs and is inspiring accountants all along the way.  He recently did a survey on friendships at work and followed up by having an interview with me (he must have laughed at my answers.)

If you too would like a laugh, you can listen to it here.

P.S. There is more than just laughs.  If you’d like to learn how our firm HBK harnesses Toastmasters to help with the “all you have to do is ask” mentioned earlier, click the link and turn up your speakers.

So, how was your weekend?