According to years of research by the Gallup Organisation in Minneapolis, having an office friend results in the employee being seven times more likely to remain engaged in their job.
It doesn’t even have to be a best friend- Gallup found that even people who had a good friend at the workplace were more likely to be satisfied, increasing their productivity levels. Here are some ways to make sure you give yourself a chance to be a part of that world.
1. Find The Meeting Point
Every office has a gathering point, where people hang out and chat, like at the coffee vending machine or water cooler. Figure out when the colleagues you’d like to break the ice with hang out there, and make an effort to get there around to the same time so that it gives you a chance to speak to them. Says IT professional Srilatha Bala, “I have two good friends at work because of those well-spent 4pm coffee breaks, even though I am not fond of the drink.”
2. Offer A Snack
The way to your colleague’s heart is through his or her stomach. Akshit Paramasivam, an HR manager at an IT firm in Chennai, says “I paid attention to my colleagues’ dietary preferences- Jain, diabetic, etc, and offered them snacks I knew they’d like. It helped build camaraderie.”
3. Be Positive
No one likes to be around someone who is always serious, irritable, or in a blue funk. Make sure you stay cheerful and communicate pleasantly with your colleagues whenever you can. Compliment them if they look nice, of if they have done a job well. But be genuine about it.
4. Avoid Gossip
You would not want to make friends with those interested simply in gossip and politics. Ashi Maik, career counsellor says, “Keep your interactions and conversations clean, and you’ll attract the right kind of friends. Focus on saying something nice and about workspace, spreading goodwill.”