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Basically, it’s one thing to have people you know personally who are within your private circle, and it’s another thing altogether to have friends who also happen to be your coworkers/colleagues. Regardless of what you may have seen on countless movies and talk shows, making friends at work isn’t exactly all daisies and sunshine.
To the sense of a common man, it can be rather clumsy to to be friends with other people in the workplace, and even when they become friends, there will oftentimes be tensions flaring and quarreling as a result of the mounting pressure and stress that comes in their office.
Additionally, it’s undoubtedly difficult to make or have friends within the workplace naturally unless there are people whom you already know working there alongside you. But in a situation whereby you find yourself in a position where you’re working in a company where you don’t know anyone intimately outside of the office, then you should make an effort to befriend with certain people (not everybody) from a crucial standpoint.
I know this might so political and crafty in nature, but think of it as a way to sustain your position within the company while still being very sociable.
That being said, here are the types of people that you need to befriend at your place of work.
Workplace influencers
Basically, in every workplace, regardless of the scale or size of the company, there’s always quite a number of individuals whose ideas and opinions help shape the direction of the business or how the workplace operates on a daily basis. Such individuals are known as influencers, and being a friend to them could do you a lot of good in the long run. But don’t think influencers are automatically at a higher positions such as managers, supervisors, or top-level executives. In fact, almost all influencers happen to be people who hold mid-level positions.
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This is as a result of the high position, mostly managers and supervisors seek the input of people they trust completely and on the other hand happen to be their inferior. Workplace influencers are usually those who are often seen coordinating with senior staff, so keep an eye out for them since they occupy a considerable amount of power if you get on their good side
Decision makers
Apart from any member of higher position, your colleague who's on the same level with you could also be a decision maker —or even a person below or above your position—who usually makes crucial arrangements that are necessary to the daily activities of the company or organization.
These people may work in various departments and also accomplish extraordinary responsibilities that justifies their classification as a decision maker in the organization. If you’re truly cognizant of who they are, then you should take the active steps to forging bonds with them.
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Irrespective of whether that colleague holds a senior or junior position, you should by all means respect their status as a decision maker if actually they are one. For example, if you are part of a group project and one of your colleague is appointed by higher management as the leader, then that person is—by all purpose and intents —the one who makes all the executive decisions for the group handling the assignment. And if you befriend or are friends with them, you might just have a chance of getting your opinions heard to influence their decision making process. This why you should be serious in all you do, making yourself trustworthy so others can bank with you and give you a higher position.
Trainers and mentors
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Whenever you're looking for someone who can assist you guide through the complex web of office politics and emerge from the situation largely unscathed, then being friends with someone who is a mentor or a trainer would be a good idea.
Their kind of job doesn’t necessarily have to distinctly state that they are truly trainers or mentors, but they could be any senior or junior coworker who has had vast experience giving valuable advice to others on work-related matters. In other words, they can act as your advisor or confidante.
Age is apparently just a number in this situation, when you’re friends with someone in the office who is pegged by others as a mentor.
Peradventure you're friends with someone older than you, then that person could give you some valuable lessons on how to deal with more traditional points of view. On the contrary, if your mentor or trainer is someone around your age or a bit younger, then they could provide a fresh and different perspective that might expand your worldview.
