This document provides 6 ways to make lasting friendships at work: 1) find common interests with coworkers, 2) get involved in office clubs and activities, 3) ask coworkers for help on projects to build relationships and skills, 4) work together on projects and tasks to foster teamwork, 5) maintain a healthy work-life balance with personal space outside of work, and 6) keep interactions positive to create a supportive environment. Making friends at work increases employee engagement, retention, and leads to a happier and more productive workplace culture.

1. How to Make
Friends at Work

2. Presented by

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4. It’s important that organizations make an effort to create a
humanized workplace culture—where people can share their
ideas, come together to produce great work, and form friendly
relationships with coworkers.

5. In the best workplaces, employers recognize
that people want to forge quality relationships with
their coworkers, and that company allegiance can
be built from such relationships.
– Gallup
SEE SOURCE

6. When employees are happy with those they work with,
engagement and retention increase.
6 WAYS TO MAKE LASTING
FRIENDSHIPS AT WORK
Commonality
Be Involved
Ask for Help
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Work Together
Personal Space
Positivity

7. 1. Commonality
From current events to sports and TV shows, learn what
your coworkers like and dislike outside of work. Finding
similarities with coworkers builds stronger social capital
and makes for a happy environment.
NEWS

8. 2. Be Involved
Seize opportunities to meet other employees you don’t
usually work with. Feeling comfortable reaching out can
help with career growth. So go ahead, join the office book,
running, or movie clubs.

9. 3. Ask for help
When working on a project or learning a new skill asking
for help won’t only give you new insights, but will also
build new relationships. At the same time, by tapping into
someone’s expertise you give them an opportunity to
become a leader.

10. Collaboration is the secret weapon. If
there’s more collaboration, the fabric of
your culture changes.
– Tim Sanders, best-selling author
SEE SOURCE

11. 4. Work Together
Impossible deadlines and seemingly unattainable tasks
are opportunities to work together with a common purpose.
Not to mention, you’ll also gain effective teamwork skills.

12. Teams who know how to work together
and divvy up project tasks gain the most from
their group’s unique mix of knowledge and
abilities.
– David Sturt, Executive Vice President and Todd Nordstrom,
Director of Institute Content
SEE SOURCE

13. 5. Personal Space
Bonding outside the office can be beneficial, but know
where to draw the line. To maintain a healthy work-life
balance everyone needs a certain amount of separation
of work and home life.

14. 6. Positivity
Though work can be stressful, don’t lash out at team
members. Try to keep your interactions professional and
positive. For every negative discussion you have, try to
have 5 positive ones. After all, the more genuine you are
at work, the better time you’ll have making friends.

15. Offset whining, the sharing of hard things, or
work stress with bonding through adding positive
feelings to those around you.
– Shasta Nelson, author of “Friendships Don’t Just Happen”
SEE SOURCE

16. Remember that friendships are not only an
employee benefit, but a cultural one as well.
When employees enjoy the work, the better
work they produce.

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18. O.C. TANNER AND THE O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE
O.C. Tanner, on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list
for the second year in a row in 2016, helps organizations create
great work environments by inspiring and appreciating great work.
Thousands of clients globally use the company’s cloud-based
technology, tools, awards, and education services to engage talent,
increase performance, drive goals, and create experiences that fuel
the human spirit. Learn more at octanner.com.
The O.C. Tanner Institute regularly commissions research and provides
a global forum for exchanging ideas about recognition, engagement,
leadership, culture, human values, and sound business principles.

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