How to Make New Friends at Work And Two Times You Shouldnt

How to Make New Friends at Work And Two Times You Shouldnt There are tons of obvious reasons you should make friends at work, and research has shown that having friendships in the workplace benefits us. While you shouldnt be treating yur office like your best friends living room, gossiping and talking about your weekend instead of getting your work done, having friends (and, ultimately, advocates) in the workplace is healthy (even frenemies can be good for you).Why Should You Make New Friends at Work?When we were kids, most of us werent trying to learn how to make new friends.Back then,relationshipswereas simple as asking, Hey, wanna play?Unfortunately,gestalting friendships as adults presents moreof a challenge. We have a certain way of understanding the world, leid to mention a specificway of interacting. And whilewe may have friends, its unlikely that our existing friend group will pursue the same industry as us, much less the same company.This means that knowing how to make new friends at work is vital. Because lets face it, our careersare hugely important in our choices. In fact, people cite work as one of their top reasons for moving, according to a United Van Lines study, which means that adults are now finding themselves in new places, wondering how to make new friends.There Are Health Benefits to Making New Friends at Work.Since we often jam-pack our days with tasks, errands, and commutes, it can be easy towrite off a social life assomething luxurious, reserved only for those with ample free time. But the truth is, social interactionpromotes ahealthy lifestyle, no matter who you are.In fact, studies show face-to-face interaction can work as a de-stressor, and close relationships later in life can even prevent mental decline. This means friendships are important not only for your fulfillment but also for your health. So, if your social life is lacking because of your job, its time to make friendsthroughyour job.Here are some more ways friends are help ful at workYou have advocates.You have someone to echo your ideas when you feel unheard.Friends boost morale.Workplace relationships in general boost productivity, according to a wealth of research.You have people who understand your stressors.Work friends can offer a break or relief from home stresses.How Do You Make New Friends at Work?Making new friends at work is easyconsidering how much time you spend with coworkers. Here are some steps to forming friendships in the workplace.1. Make the First Move.If youre an extrovert, you may have no herausforderung making the first move. Butup to50percentof the population is thought to be introverted or have introverted qualities, according to Psychology Today, which means that plenty of peopledostruggle with initiating conversation.While it can be uncomfortable to introduce yourself, the workplace in the perhaps the best place to do so, because it can generate a professional, helpful atmosphere. If you work in an office, introduce yourself to someone close by. If you work remotely, jump into an online community.2. Be Invested.When Aziz Ansari and sociologist Eric Klinenberg teamed up to study modern dating, they found men were likelier to get dates when they referenced previous conversations. Thats because these references were signs the men had not only talkedthey had listened, too. The same idea applies to building professional relationships. While you may not be pining for a date, simplyalluding to a previous conversationshows your listening skills and interest.3. Be Genuine.Faking it can be tempting, but weve all been around people who are a littletoonice. Your communication techniques may be holding you back if youre not genuine, which means to just be honest.When youre the real you, youre encouraging others to be the real them. Plus, if the real you doesnt click with someone, youll know right away. No need to fake something that isnt there.4. Dont Make Assumptions.When discussing how to make new friends at work , assumptions matter. After all, we make assumptions every day.When you hear someone sighing, you may assume theyre annoyed when you hear someone whispering, you maythinktheyre gossiping. This is part of how we collect information we are Sherlocks, constantly deducing the world around us.And while many ofour assumptions are harmless, somecanbe problematic. You may, for example, wrongly assume someone is rude when in actuality they struggle with social cues. Its better to learn than to assume, andlearning happens through organic, genuine interactions.What Are Times When You Shouldnt Be Friends?While we should strive toward friendships in the workplace, there are situations in which professional friendships simply cant function. Here are two examples.1. If the Person Works for You/You Work for ThemYou can appreciate your anfhrer or employee and build relationships with senior management, butfriendship is virtually impossiblewhenapower dynamic is involved. Addressing issues with a mana ger is very different thanconfidingin a friend.When you bring issues to a manager, youre hopingthey can use their position to bring about asolution. Your boss can be a great resource when youre looking to grow or pivot in the company, or if you need professional guidance.The downside to this, of course, is the riskassociated with power. Hopefully, your relationship with your manager is healthy, andyou can openly and comfortably address problems without fear of retribution. Still, the opportunity for retribution (however small it may be) eliminates the possibility for friendship. Friends cant terminate you managers can.In the same way, if youre a manager, boundaries are crucial. Your employees are eager to please you, so dont discuss anything that could be considered offensive or unprofessional. Because of the power dynamic, employeesare less likely to push back ifthey feel uncomfortable.2. If its ForcedFinally, dont force it. Even if youre the friendliest, bubbliest, most likable, m ost positive person out there, youre not going to be friends with everyone. And thats okay.Of course, there are times when friends in the workplace could hurt your career. But, generally speaking, friends are a positive.If you try to connect with coworkers and have no luck, it may be time to join another community, like a gym, book club, or Meetup group. You may even feel your current work culture just isnt a good fit if thats the case, theres nothing wrong with looking for other work or starting your own side-hustle. These are great ways to meet like-minded people organically.If nothing else, yourereading this article because you want to learn how to make new friends, and thats certainly a start. There are several ways to form new relationships. You just have to get out there and start doing it.--Kaitlin Westbrook is a content writer for Vecteezy.com. She covers business, creative content, professional writing, and more. When shes not writing, she enjoys movies and her Pomeranian. You can connect with her onTwitter.