Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
All of my best friends were coworkers at some point in time. I will say that our friendship seemed to be easier if we either didn't work at the same place/department/time. One friend worked at the same company, but we were in different departments. Later we were in the same department and ended up in arguments more often and she got on my nerves. The traits that made her a great friend also made her a poor coworker. Obviously not every situation is that way, but the vast majority have been in my experience.
So my suggestion would be don't get too friendly with people you have to work with closely.
Some of the friends I've known the longest are former co-workers, so I think that if you like someone and feel a connection with them, absolutely! There's a difference between naturally becoming friends with a co-worker and trying to force it, though--obviously.
It's not so much whether you do or don't socialize with people at work, but about these two questions:
1) Is the person well respected, or at least without major workplace "issues"?
2) Where do you go and what do you do together after work? If you would not be proud and happy to see every detail of your activities AND your conversation made into the top headline on your local news... Then don't.
As you noticed it's the younger, unattached crowd that mixes life. We did the same thing until marriage and moving on started happening in our thirties. In another industry, construction, I had no desire to hang with my co-workers after six long, long days putting out fires with them.
At the same time, I'd make sure to show for head office stuff, fundraisers, ball games, and other activities just to keep the rumours down to a dull roar, or collect the freshest ones!!!
I work for a rather large company and have noticed there are two types of people. Those who want to build friendships both in the office AND out of the office and those who just maintain a healthy friendship inside the office and are concerned with getting their work done. I'm mostly seeing those that have friendships outside of the office are the younger crowd who are not married/dating. But here's my dilemma.
Is it best to keep personal and work life separate from each other? I always thought that was the best thing to do. But I also don't want to act distant from my coworkers. Now, don't take me wrong. If I get invited to a happy hour or company event, I go, but I just wanted to see what others thought about this.
Reminds me of a story I read.
Seems a couple had met at work and had grown close, but then suddenly they began carping and snarling at each other. Finally one left the company and then a sign was posted. "No fishing from the peer"...
I keep that motto often with me at work. I am friendly with them, but don't care about their private lives and frankly, don't want to know anything of them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
