BWF: Best Work Friends

Lindsey Walters

Work friends – everyone has them. Whether they are in your office or at another firm you work closely with, these connections are central to your sanity, work flow, and even future projects and ventures. Think about that one person you work with that just gets it. Regardless of whether they are your best friend, your acquaintance, or something in between, this relationship is yours and cannot be replaced or recreated by someone else. Now think about what you would do without them? Maybe you wouldn’t be as productive at work because they are not there to balance the work load. Or maybe you would just be hostile all the time because you can’t come and tell them how the guy next door is wearing short-shorts again. Whatever the situation, odds are you would be at some sort of a loss without your work friend. But how are you nurturing and developing your professional relationships?

Connections and associations in a business setting take time to build and maintain, arguably even more time than in your personal life. No matter what level of friendship you have or are pursuing, all relationships take various amounts of time and dedication to nurture and develop. Some might say that keeping a friend is effortless and just comes naturally, when really it is just more enjoyable “work” than, say,  figuring out what the new FCC ruling means for your company.