Making Work Relationships Work
I have started a new job and I want to be successful. A large part of my success is managing relationships in the office. By nature I tend to talk less when in the office environment. I don’t have personal pictures on my desk. I don’t hang around the office cooler. And I shy away from office gossip.
On the surface those behaviors seem safe. But I have found that holding back too much information can hurt as well. The important thing to remember is to share a little bit of my life without over sharing.
Most adults spend more waking hours with their co-workers than with family and friends. The sheer number of hours spent in the office can sometimes make you let your guard down. It is okay to share some things with co-workers, however it is important to remember that office relationships can cause potential problems if they go sour.
Please check out my tips on how I have successfully managed office relationships.
#1 Be Friendly Without Oversharing
I make sure that I speak to everyone and stay tuned to their preferences. Partially closed doors, and co-workers wearing headphones are signs that this person is friendly but very focused on work. I am always friendly to people and will share brief anecdotes about my life but my main focus is work.
#2 Avoid Office Gossip
Being aware of what is going on in your office and industry in general is important. You want to know if there are pending layoffs or perhaps a new opportunity that may present itself. However, the idle chatter about people that has no real value for your career is something that I have avoided. Unfortunately, there are individuals who gravitate toward this useless chatter. They are easy to recognize as they are always sharing personal business and often over share their own personal life in hopes of getting you to open up. I would be cordials because sometimes the information they share can be useful but cautious with them in what I say. Past experience shows that anything shared will be spread around.
#3 Limit Your Commentary About Others
Be friendly and listen for things that would be helpful to your career but don’t contribute to office chatter. When working you may be asked about another person. I was asked about a co-worker’s schedule. My response was, “I really don’t know about anybody else’s schedule as I have been swamped with this project.” I then started talking about my work related ideas. I know that if I had of been drawn into this chatter it could get messy at some point.
#4 Document Work on a Project
Office friendships are great because people who like each other usual get more work done. However, if your friend is a slacker and you have to make up for it, or if on a shared project hey mess up things can get complicated. I avoid these issues by sending group email updates. These brief status reports show the work accomplished and what needs to be done. I include the boss and always make these notes friendly by saying. “Here is where we are on the project. Please let us know if there are any other areas you want us to cover.” This invites more collaboration, gives the boss a chance to add comments and lets everyone know what work has been done.
#5 Remember that Co-Workers Can Become Potential Competitors
The job market is tough and when openings come up for better positions the competition may come from the desk next to yours. Oversharing personal things, or bad-mouthing your boss can really hurt you in these situations. It is important to be friendly but you don’t want to share anything that could make you look bad in the office.
A few of my work friends became good friends outside of the office and when I left the company these relationships thrived. I cherished these friendships because my work friends have mentored me in my career and in some instances provided work references. These relationships have bolstered my career growth and I am thankful to have managed them well.