Knowing how to get along with your co-workers is important and understanding when to separate office rapport with after-work socialising is essential.

As you get to know the people you work with, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind.

Do’s

    • Do keep the boundaries between your work and your personal life intact. It will help you maintain your integrity, ethics and good reputation, not to mention goodwill among your co-workers and boss.
    • Do hold back on divulging too much information with your friends at work. Things to keep to yourself include:
      • Sexual history
      • Illness or health concerns
      • Anything related to money, including salary and financial history
      • Details of your job performance reports or reviews.
    • Do make sure your online persona is suitable for your boss to see. Avoid being like the girl whose job offer was withdrawn because of the drunken photos she posted on her Facebook page or about the man who was fired for criticising his boss on Twitter. Your online behaviour is part of your professional image, so manage it well.
    • Do know your limits. If one to two cocktails cause you to slur your speech, stick to water or fruit juice while bonding with your colleagues over drinks.
    • Do take cookies to work occasionally; it makes you seem like a team player.
    • Do share monumental events such as getting engaged. However, if your news influences your work, make sure your boss hears it from you first.

Don’ts

    • Don’t gossip. Form your own opinions about people; take what someone is saying about somebody else with a grain of salt and find a way to bring the focus back to work if possible.
    • Don’t put colleagues on the spot by asking them to partake in your child’s fundraiser.
    • Don’t get stuck in a work friendship rut. Continue to grow outside the office. Deepen your knowledge on non work-related subjects or volunteer at a charity that interests you.
    • Don’t play games, such as Words With Friends, with your colleagues while at work.
    • Don’t take pictures of your colleagues or boss indiscreetly. You may think it’s funny to catch your co-worker singing to Katy Perry, but posting it on Facebook is an invasion of privacy and inconsiderate.
    • Don’t have a heated argument with your partner for everyone to hear. No matter how upset you may be, stay focused on where you are and maintain your composure. Don’t embarrass your co-workers by airing your personal problems in front of them.

It would be naive to believe that you can be friends with everyone in the office. However, choosing to neglect the critical importance of forming friendships in the workplace should never be an option.

 

Source
http://www.bizme.biz
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Nickless, Rachel. 2013. Friends and smart managers a key to workplace productivity. Financial Review. 17 April