It doesn't matter how much you love the job you do, if you don't get along with your colleagues, you will be unhappy. It's natural to want to be on good terms with your colleagues and make friends with them, but the question is how your friendship will affect maintaining professionalism in the workplace. These are two common scenarios:
You go to the gym together
Where will you find better gym company than a colleague who has the same work schedule as you? But before you sign up together, think about whether this will affect your dynamic.
A good idea would be to invite a few colleagues so they don't feel left out. You might prefer to go alone, but this way you provide an opportunity for others to join you.
Going for a drink after work
Socializing after work is a great way to bond with colleagues and strengthen bonds. But if the occasional after-work drink turns into a regular one, you may not always be able to find time for it, and you fear that you'll miss some important information that is usually shared among colleagues after work.
"Friendships can benefit your career. Friends can help you find a job, inform you about new positions, or bring you new clients, but you must not let the presence of alcohol in your blood impair your professionalism," emphasizes Dr. Jan jager, author of the book Friendshifts.
Regardless of the fact that you are not at the workplace, you must know how to set boundaries when communicating with colleagues.
Don't let drinking after work become a chore. Make an alternative plan every now and then and resist the urge to stay for a drink, and once in a while have one drink with colleagues and then leave before the other. In this way, you will show that you are sociable, and no one will expect you to always be in the mood for a drink.
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