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Old 01-31-2014, 01:26 PM
 
1,480 posts, read 2,786,262 times
Reputation: 1611

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Over and over and over I read postings on this board with the following messages:

I don't go to work to make friends.

I keep to myself at work.

I don't go to workplace social or teambuilding functions

I don't want to open myself up to my coworkers.

I go to work, do my duties, and keep my head down.

Workplace friends is a oxymoron.

I don't like my coworkers but I work hard and get my work done.

-----------------------

Ok, interesting statements. But when I look back at my successes and failures on the job at a wide variety of employers, job titles and corporate cultures, one thing was common:

I always did best in those environments where I was very friendly to my coworkers and felt a general comfort and confidence talking to them.

Translation: If I chatted with them about non workplace topics during slow times, THEN when a decision had to be reached, a consensus reached, or a problem solved, related to workplace issues, the easiest to work with was the people I socialized with about non work issues and were at least workplace friends.

How about you?

 
Old 01-31-2014, 02:03 PM
 
Location: Vallejo
21,665 posts, read 24,798,978 times
Reputation: 18893
No.

I usually work more effectively with those I don't have a friendly relationship with. We both just want to get the job done, don't have to worry about offending someone since acquaintances for some reason can take criticism better rather than expecting you to side with them when they're doing something wrong because they thought you'd "have their back."

Social and teambuilding functions are fine. I've gone to them, some were enjoyable. I've made quite a few contacts at professional conventions that I leverage. I'm not friends with any of these people. They're business connections. We never socialize on topics outside of work. It's not like we're unfriendly and engage in meaningless small talk but that doesn't mean we're best pals or anything.
 
Old 01-31-2014, 02:30 PM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,938 posts, read 36,743,887 times
Reputation: 40634
Yes, absolutely. Relationships or lack of, have been critical to my successes and failures, as the case may be, on the job.
 
Old 01-31-2014, 02:39 PM
 
1,049 posts, read 2,998,719 times
Reputation: 1383
No, the only thing i go to work for is a paycheck. If i happen to make a friend, cool, otherwise im not going to try and force it.

On a side note, why do you keep making pointless topics like this that are already being discussed in other threads?
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