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Despite claiming “people are our greatest asset,” too many executives still expect employees to leave their personal lives at the door when they come to work. Yet Gallup data shows that having a best friend at work is strongly linked to business outcomes, including improvements in profitability, safety, inventory control, and employee retention. With the unavoidable increase in remote and hybrid work, best friends at work have become lifelines who provide crucial social connection, collaboration, and support for each other during times of change.
Start a Slack channel and invite anyone who’s interested to join. “Taking those few extra moments to talk to someone and ask a question or two about something they shared is an opportunity to get to know them better,” says Pizzica.
The Dos and Don’ts of Christmas Office Party Etiquette
Shared proximity is probably responsible for most, if not all the friendships you form before you’re an independent adult. Sow and Friedman’s main principle of friendship, the Shine Theory, encourages people to see their friends as collaborators rather than competitors. It’s “a rejection of the scarcity mentality the workplace is imbued with,” say Sow and Friedman, who have found that confiding in colleagues has helped their careers. There are of course a few drawbacks to work friendships. Office hierarchy can make these relationships complicated.
For people who started working remotely full time in 2020, one of the biggest changes was the sharp decrease in hours they spent engaging socially with work friends. Reconsider how you network.Networking doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, awkward, scary, or even https://remotemode.net/ planned; in fact, you can network just about anywhere. To do this, I challenge myself to chat with at least two people each day when I work from a crowded coffee shop; so far, I’ve made friends with a yoga teacher, fellow writer, and design consultant.
How to Cultivate Work Relationships in a Remote Position
While not meeting in person can make it harder to get close, it isn’t impossible. Most of the time you can find at least one person you really like at your company. If there is one person you connect with in the regular virtual meetings or Slack line, reach out and make a plan to meet, virtually or in-person. Even one close friend can turn a work chore into a chance for fun.
And could it also do something to help slow The Great Resignation? I spoke with experts and people who have successfully forged friendships at work to get their best advice on how to make a work friend. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes before a Zoom meeting starts and chat with whoever else shows up. Hang out a little longer with co-workers unless they’re staying put for a private meeting. When on Zoom, your background—real or virtual—serves as a conversation starter.
Bring ‘something fun or innovative to a team meeting’
In addition to the personal benefits, martial arts training can also be a great way to make friends and build a supportive network. While digital classes can be a great way to learn, there’s nothing like meeting people while learning IRL. Classes offer the benefit of group exercises and assigned collaboration, which will give you the chance to hone your skills or explore your interests while connecting with like-minded people. Your local community college is a great place to begin your search. You might also consider local stores and studios for creative activities like cooking, dancing, or jewelry making. That’s hard to recreate in a video chat, but making those connections isn’t impossible. Set your view to gallery mode, and watch your fellow team members.
Places like San Francisco’s The Assembly or The Wing in New York City and DC are prime for mingling with fellow business owners and freelancers. If you’re into setting up meetings with semi-strangers, be intentional about asking people you admire or may have met in passing to meet you for tea, a walk, or something else. Tell your new work buddies that you’re looking to meet some new people, and plan a small hangout where you each bring one or two friends from outside of work if possible. If you’ve recently moved to the area, how to make friends when you work from home or don’t have too many friends to bring, don’t hesitate to tell your understanding new work friend, as they’ll bring the party for you. Again, this tends to be much easier when you’re in person, but it’s not an impossible feat to accomplish remotely. It’s not embarrassing, desperate or clingy to ask someone if they want to get a drink or coffee, even if it’s over a video call. Choose a milestone, like a big project or deadline, or perhaps the start of a new venture as your launching point for a prospective hangout.
These 100 gifts will make any man happy as a kid, and most are quite affordable. Like they say, 90% of life is showing up … to your Tuesday night axe-throwing practice.
