Do you really have friends in the workplace?

Some people may ask whether there is true friendship in the workplace? Before answering the question, first take stock of your circle of friends. Do you have any friends you really confide in at work? Ask yourself again: What is the purpose of your work? Needless to say, "to make money" should be the answer for most people. Almost no one says: I go to work just to make close friends and gain true friendship.

When it comes to making money, there is a naked interest relationship behind money. There are no eternal friends or enemies in the workplace, only eternal interests. Whether it is between colleagues or between leaders and subordinates, there are endless conflicts between interests all the time.

There are many books on the market that talk about workplace struggles, workplace relationships, workplace etiquette, workplace interpersonal relationships, and workplace communication, and they are very popular. I remember that when I first started working, I came across "Thick Black Learning in the Workplace" and read it several times. In the field of self-media, there are many professionals who share their workplace experiences and experiences, and are sought after and become big Vs and popular bloggers. Many young people entering the workplace regard their words as golden rules.

What does this mean? It is not an easy task to handle interpersonal relationships well in the workplace, and it is a profound skill and knowledge. However, friendship is different. Sincere friendship allows people to open their hearts, communicate honestly, and express their unhappiness without any tension or pressure.

Xiao Min has a very good friend. They have been separated for ten years, but they still keep in touch and get together when they have time. At that time, Xiao Min was working as an HR in the Human Resources Department, and she was working as an engineer in the Quality Department. They had almost no conflicts of interest or overlap in their work. She quit after half a year. They met and became friends because Xiao Min and she happened to live in the same community and traveled together to and from get off work. Moreover, they both particularly like playing badminton and cooking delicious food. They have many similar topics, so they naturally become good friends.

If you are lucky enough to make a good friend at work, it can only happen by chance. It has a certain probability, but it is not inevitable. Making friends is not the purpose of coming to work, nor can it be your expectation. It can only be said to be an indescribable fate.

What is the relationship between people in the workplace? How should this relationship be handled?

1. In the workplace, there is a partnership between people.

Everyone works together to complete tasks and make suggestions together in order to get things done and solve problems. In the workplace, teamwork is often emphasized, clearly reflecting this relationship. The company often organizes team building activities or conducts expansion activities from time to time. What is the purpose? It is to consolidate this cooperative relationship within the company. Through the activities, everyone can have a closer and harmonious relationship, and the cooperation between each other can be smoother. It is not about making friends and cultivating friendships among employees.

2. In the workplace, the best way to get along with each other is to treat each other as a customer. Our company owner places special emphasis on customer service awareness. When I joined the company, I was quite confused. Isn’t dealing with customers all about sales? I am an HR person, what kind of clients do I serve? The boss's explanation made me enlightened. The customers of HR are the heads of various departments. Take recruitment as an example. How HR cooperates with business departments to recruit the people they need according to recruitment needs reflects a sense of customer service. Even if you are just an ordinary worker on the production line, how you operate your process well so that workers in the next process can take over more smoothly also reflects a sense of customer service. When you treat departments that work together and colleagues who work together as customers, you will find that many problems will be solved easily. There will be no arguing or buck-passing. Everyone understands and supports each other, makes suggestions together, and completes tasks one by one.

3. In the workplace, we should lower our expectations for friendship.

Don’t demand that your colleagues repay you just because you have shown your heart to your colleagues or provided help. Colleagues repay you because they show their affection for you. Colleagues don't repay you because they are their duty. After all, they did not harm you.

After I graduated, I worked in my first company for two years. I had a very harmonious relationship with my colleagues. We usually talked and laughed while working together, had lunch together, and often went shopping and karaoke together after get off work. I asked to leave my job at that time because I got an offer from a Fortune 500 company. I wanted to have such a good relationship with my office colleagues, so I told them the good news. I thought they would be happy for me and give me a farewell party or something. Unexpectedly, when they learned that I was going to a Fortune 500 company, their attitude toward me changed completely. My colleagues who usually talk to me about everything have nothing to say to me anymore, and everyone stopped calling me when we have dinner parties. When handling the handover, my colleagues treated me in a routine manner and were cold to me.

I felt very aggrieved at the time and couldn’t figure it out, so I complained about encountering such an ungrateful colleague. After many years of hard work in the workplace, when I think back on this experience, I feel particularly naive. Those colleagues of mine did nothing wrong. How can you possibly expect true friendship in the workplace? Don’t expect friendships from your colleagues in return. Colleagues have a cooperative relationship with each other. We are all lucky enough to work together. It’s great to have a tacit understanding and happy cooperation.

4. In a situation full of interests such as the workplace, how should we determine the right balance of friendship?

You must understand that what arises between colleagues is affection, not friendship. Friendship is a step further emotionally than friendship. Collaborative relationships in the workplace can create camaraderie, but rarely develop into friendship. For example, this colleague and I have a very good rapport. We work together in harmony, help each other, and encourage each other. This is the bond between colleagues. Affection helps harmonize workplace relationships, create a relaxed working atmosphere, and build a foundation of trust.

In the workplace, informal, casual communication between you and your colleagues is essential. During the lunch break at work, you can go to dinner with your colleagues; if you and your colleagues are on the way after get off work, you can also go together. When you have time, you can chat about your hobbies and interests, and talk about news and gossip. This kind of communication will enhance mutual understanding and promote better cooperation between each other. Through relaxed and comfortable communication, we will understand that this colleague is impatient and that colleague is a very serious person. In this way, you will know what to pay attention to and what to avoid when working together to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

5. Finally

Don’t deliberately make friends in the workplace. There is no real friendship in the workplace. However, it is undeniable that there is true friendship between people. If you have this kind of friendship with your colleagues and cherish each other, please cherish this rare friendship and treat others with sincerity. In the workplace, what can really make each other go further and further away is always the mutual interest relationship.