Having friends at work can boost your productivity, teamwork, and communication with your colleagues, but can you guess the biggest it can do? It can make you happy! Knowing that you have friends to see at work will give you something to look forward to each day!
If you’re starting a new job soon, or you’re struggling to make friends at your workplace, here are a few ways that you can extend a hand of friendship.
Be friendly!
This may seem pretty obvious, but a great way to make friends at work is to be friendly to your colleagues and show them that you care about them! You can probably agree that you prefer to be around people who have a positive attitude and make you feel comfortable.
There are lots of ways you can be friendly to others – you could introduce yourself to new colleagues, journey out of your department to talk to other people you might not usually see or say hello each day and ask questions about their weekend.
Another way to show you care is to learn names and use them frequently! Whenever you say hello or need to ask a question, make sure you address your colleague by their name. It shows you took the time to remember something about them, and that you care enough to do it. These may seem like very small things to do, but they can be very big gestures!
Put yourself out there
Do you have a communal working area or an outside space at your workplace? Great! If you find that you tend to sit behind your desk and don’t talk to many people throughout the day, try moving out of your usual space.
Working in an area where a lot of people will pass through or even join you is a great way of getting yourself out there. You might find someone new to talk to, or even spend more time with someone who is also in your department.
Bond over lunch
Just like moving to a communal working area can help you spend more time with your colleagues, moving away from your desk at lunch time is a great way to make friends. Start going to the break room or even invite some colleagues out to lunch in a nearby café. This will give everyone the chance to relax and have a casual chat!
Still struggling to join in at lunch? Bringing in food and drink like a selection of cupcakes or coffee is a good introduction! Offering them to your colleagues shows that you care and can start up lots of conversation!
Be a team player
Being a team player is a great way to work and communicate well with your colleagues – as well as making friends. A way you can be a team player is by helping your ‘teammates’ out! Could you offer to train a colleague in something you are an expert in? Could you offer to help carry something up the stairs or make someone a drink? Doing something nice for someone else is a good way to show kindness!
Get involved and participate
A sure-fire way to make friends at work? Hang out with your colleagues and get involved! Whenever there is a work event like a Christmas party or even a summer sports day, tag along (even if you feel slightly nervous). You might find it hard at first to join in, especially if you don’t know people very well, but your colleagues are bound to be a friendly bunch, and a way most people make friends, even outside of work, is by having fun!
Remember: keep things professional
While it’s great to have friends, or even best friends, at work, remember that this is still a professional place! This means it’s best not to ask anyone questions that are too personal or make them uncomfortable, or even share too much of your own information, especially if nobody wanted to know. While you can have casual, friendly chats, make sure you don’t overstep any boundaries, just like you would in a friendship outside of work, and try not to let it disrupt your job either – this is still a place of work!
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