There’s always a common school of thought on various elements of life, whether it’s love, career or finances. Some of these include the usual pieces of advice like “You’re only as good as your last performance.” But there’s one common quip that writer Shola Richards reports could kill your career.
“We’re not at work to make friends.â€
Richards continues: The reality? Of course we are. In fact, making friends at work is one of the most important things we’ll ever do in our careers. The Gallup Organization thinks so, too, and through their polls, they discovered a real link between workplace friendships and overall business results. Gallup interviews also found employees who have a best friend at work are seven times as likely to be engaged in their jobs.
We can slice it however we want, but the stats say it loud and clear–having friends at work is definitely a big deal.
Unfortunately, even in the face of all of this evidence, some people still believe  friendship and work mix as well as tequila and strawberry milk.
Usually, that’s because the people who are in the “I’m not here to make friends†crowd have a flawed idea of what it means to be a friend at work
. That’s why we need to begin by clearing up some common misconceptions about workplace friendships.