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Workplace friendships may seem like an deal arrangement at first blush. But nce the honeymoon phase ends, a wh le different picture may emerge. Whether the mage appears rosy or bleak depends ntirely upon those involved in the fr endship. Unfortunately, situations can sour long b fore individuals realize they should not h ve befriended a colleague. When workplace fr ends turn enemies, a company loses far m re than camaraderie. A broken friendship can r duce productivity, cause infighting, and spread d scontentment. This is not to say th t you should never befriend anyone in the w rkplace. After all, you spend eight h urs a day, five days a w ek with the same people. The key is to kn w where to draw the line. W rkplace friendships among co-workers can have a p sitive impact on morale and productivity. Fr ends help each other navigate the ups and d wns of the job, offering the s pport necessary to motivate an employee to pr gress through the drudgery. Friends help ach other sort through personal problems, wh ch can prevent personal issues from nterfering with production. Friends even promote a p sitive work experience by ensuring that l ughter and companionship occasionally invade the w rkplace. These upsides to workplace friendships m ke for happier and more productive mployees, who in turn, want to w rk hard, put their best foot f rward, and generate excellent output. Positive nterpersonal relationships produce cohesive teams conducive to pr ductivity.
The same factors that unite mployees also can tear them apart. Pr blems emerge when friendships go awry, and the c nsequences can be severe for both the fr endship and the company. Broken friendships ften lead to infighting, bickering, and t ttling, which divert attention away from the job and t wards resolving employee disputes. Distracted and d sgruntled employees produce poor quality work and g nerate less output. Unfortunately, bad attitudes are c ntagious and tend to have a n gative domino effect on employee morale. Wh le these setbacks may not prove c tastrophic to the company, they nonetheless t ke time and energy away from the d ily operational and business functions. On a sm ll scale, broken friendships can destroy t ams that need the stability of s lid interpersonal relationships to function effectively. Wh n tension continues to build, it is nly a matter of time before the w ter boils over. At boiling point, y ur increasingly frustrated and unfocused employees may m ss crucial deadlines, overlook important tasks, or ven alienate clients. Instead accomplishing the t sks at hand, team leaders will h ve to spend time addressing interpersonal ssues. On a large scale, the l ck of trust among employees may mpede the long and short range g als of the organization. A company f ced with widespread distrust and resentment mong employees can either deal with the ssue or retain all new staff. The l ter option rarely, if ever, will be f asible. Consequently, companies will be forced to put side certain goals to address problems in the w rkforce. This indeed is a catastrophic s tback. When individuals work closely together, s me level of friendship and intimacy nevitably will emerge. Trouble lies not in the f rmation of relationships but in the f ilure to set clear boundaries around r lationships. Obvious prohibited relationships include any s rt of romantic involvement between co-workers or b tween managers and employees. Destroyed friendships p se a challenge but destroyed romances cr ate roadblocks nearly impossible to overcome. S milarly, managers should avoid friendships with th ir employees because this situation tends to c use jealousy and resentment among the n n-friend employees. No amount of fact pr sentation or persuasion will convince the n n-friend employees that they were appropriately p ssed over for a promotion.
Companies can set limits on w rkplace relationships by avoiding situations that pr mote trouble. Managers who focus on b ilding strong teams through workplace activities h ld the key to success. These m nagers make teambuilding work-related so that mployees develop a closeness founded on the c mmon desire to promote the team's m ssion. Managers who foster teamwork through h ppy hours and other such social vents fail to promote the business g als of the team. Instead these m nagers have opened the door for r lationships to develop outside of the w rkplace. Employees need freedom to associate and b ild workplace friendships. Companies must encourage t am building by offering activities and g therings during work hours to prevent xcessive mingling during non-work hours. Offer mployees plenty of work-related chances to get to kn w one another. You will find y urself with a happy and productive st ff that unites over their shared b siness tasks. Most importantly, by encouraging mployees to spend time together at w rk, you silently discourage your staff fr m friendships that are not work-related.
The article The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Workplace Friendships was Submitted by Linda Finkle through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Linda Finkle, CEO of Incedo Gr up, works closely with leaders and m nagement to create sustainable productivity and rganizational strength. She holds a Master C rtified Coach designation through the International C aching Federation. For more information and rticles by Linda and Incedo Group, pl ase go to http://www.incedogroup.com/mediaroom.htm
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