How Close are you to Office Work Colleagues

NinjaSeb

I don't mind occasional chat if it's interesting, but when you work with people who talk constantly about nothing, the crap they watched on TV, that they are tired/hungry or how much they drank at the weekend, it becomes very boring and very irritating. Periods of quiet are very pleasant and you can really focus on what you are doing.

Middy

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

I've never understood this need to make friends at work.

Sure, be polite and helpful, but I like to choose my friends, who I have known all my life, rather than make friends by simple virtue of working in the same place as someone.

You only end up talking about bloody work, how boring is that?

At my current job, I have made great friends - friends for life. We talk about other things apart from work.

My mum still is friends with some people she worked with when she was in her late teens!

donquine

I think it's polite to make idle conversation with your colleagues, particularly after the weekend or a big event. However, that's as far as it goes for me.

The way I see it, business is business and it's difficult enough working in a high pressured environment without letting the relationships in that environment get too close. If someone decides your performance isn't satisfactory and you disagree, it can hit you hard if that person is someone you consider to be a friend. It works the other way too - it's hard to criticise an underperforming member of staff if you're too pally with them.

I will happily chat with a colleague in the workplace or if I run into them out and about. However, I won't make plans to go out with them in my free time, unless it's the obligatory Christmas dinner, etc.

telboyo

donquine wrote: »

I think it's polite to make idle conversation with your colleagues, particularly after the weekend or a big event. However, that's as far as it goes for me.

The way I see it, business is business and it's difficult enough working in a high pressured environment without letting the relationships in that environment get too close. If someone decides your performance isn't satisfactory and you disagree, it can hit you hard if that person is someone you consider to be a friend. It works the other way too - it's hard to criticise an underperforming member of staff if you're too pally with them.

I will happily chat with a colleague in the workplace or if I run into them out and about. However, I won't make plans to go out with them in my free time, unless it's the obligatory Christmas dinner, etc.

Why would you go to a Christmas dinner in your own time if you feel it is an obligation?

chuckley

HAHA sounds like my old office! I hate the whole lunch @ desk thing, as most ppl still expect u to answer ya fone if it rings OR will talk to u about xyz about work while ur tucking in. DROP ME OUT!

Some offices arent friendly tho. some have cliques... which is funny coz theres always 1 from the clique that'l bitttch about other members when they go away from their desks and smile and chat n laugh with them when they come back as if they havent spent the last 30 minutes slaaagging them off.

so basically dont 'pally' anyone @ work.

Nicklt

I've been at my corrent work around 6-7 months now and im very close to people i work with, there is 6 of us in a small office and we have a right laugh. Always eating cake and biscuits Greggs love us! ive put on 2 stone since working there.

RexBanner

Like most things there's a happy medium where you get on with your colleagues without letting work intrude into your free time. I also think that an ability to get on with people (not just avoid tension, but really form friendly, productive relationships with people you're never going to see outside of the workplace) is an overlooked skill.

Getting on with people puts you at an advantage compared to the dullards chained to their desks, so all other things being equal you'll do better than them.

donquine

telboyo wrote: »

Why would you go to a Christmas dinner in your own time if you feel it is an obligation?

We pay for the meal ourselves, but our Christmas dinner is (mostly) on the company's time. It starts during the day and goes on all night, so ends up being on our free time too. Everyone goes, so it would be really obvious if one person didn't. For £30 once a year and maintaining office relationships, it's really not worth trying to get out of it. Doesn't mean it's the highlight of my social calendar or that I'm last to leave, though!

Leosmummy

I have loved reading this thread, I have worked in an office env. for about 13 yrs in 4 different places and i can honestly say I have never experienced a 'non chatty environment' anywhere. I have worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Whilst I agree with one poster in that I do not go to work to make friends - I think it is a bonus if you do!. You spend a large chunk of your life at work, so it is natural (to me) that you would make friends there. I think once you start a conversation in a new job people are always willing to oblige! (or maybe I just chat too much :rotfl:)

donquine

Leosmummy wrote: »

Whilst I agree with one poster in that I do not go to work to make friends - I think it is a bonus if you do!. You spend a large chunk of your life at work, so it is natural (to me) that you would make friends there. I think once you start a conversation in a new job people are always willing to oblige! (or maybe I just chat too much :rotfl:)

Thinking about it, the difference in opinions may arise from whether people work for a 'flat' organisation or a 'tall' one. If you work for a flat organisation, i.e. alongside lots of co-workers with equal amounts of power/influence, it might feel more appropriate to make 'proper' friends.

But I work for a 'tall' organisation, i.e. one with a clear and very detailed hierarchy, so there are people below me and people above me, but very people with the same level of power as me.

For those of you who say you make lots of friends at work, are they all of the same sort of grade/position as you?