Could colleagues be friends?

China
March 29, 2009 10:33pm CST
I have worked five years after graduated.But I did not make any friends with my colleagues.I found it is difficult to make friends with colleagues,but I don't know why. Now,I think there are several reasons: firstly,we come from different province,different place,there is many differences in lift habit. secondly,we have different literacy level,we can not same opinion for many things. thirdly,the character difference. fourthly,there is interest conflict,especially in the same department,like sales deparment. Unfortunately,I have no friends who come from office.Now,most of my friends are my schoolfellow.I don't know if it is good like this.Do you have best friends who are your colleagues?
3 people like this
19 responses
• Philippines
30 Mar 09
for me, yes. most of my friends now are office mates or former office mates. on my first job, i am friends with them up until now, five years later, we still hang out, watch movies, have dinner together. at my second work, i am still friends with them, one of them made me the god mother of her baby. we just could not hang out much because they have families but we send messages or call each other during holidays and birthdays. in my third work, we try to have a reunion once in a while with my former boss and former team mates. they work night shifts and i work morning shifts so we rarely get a suitable and nice schedule for all of us when we can go out.but last week, we were able to go out and went clubbing =) i have friends and i also have office mates whom I am not friendly with. but it is possible to be friends with colleagues =)
• China
30 Mar 09
Congratulations to you!Wish you have a happy time with your friends form colleagues.
@lazeebee (5461)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 09
Hi Susie, I don't prefer to have close friends among my colleagues - I am friendly with them, and go for lunches and meals together; even traveled on business trips. But I don't involve them in my personal life, that is, I don't invite them for weekend shopping, meals or celebrations. Some people tend to talk too much, while others will let personal emotions affect their working lives - all these I wish to avoid.
• China
30 Mar 09
Yes,I totally agree with you.What you said is what I want to express.I am friendly with them,go for lunches with them,even traveled on business trips.But I won't tell them my privacy.So I don't think they are my friends,we just workmates. I am so glad you can understand me.:) Thank you!
• India
30 Mar 09
Yes i have many friends in every office joined and i left too as i am different at others education level or from another place.Just be friendly as we are working at same place.If you think that you are WORKING SAME AS OTHERS in a same place and you won't think of education level,place just think of SAME COMPANY,SAME PLACE etc so that you will be free when you talk with them and you can be friendly with them dear.
• China
30 Mar 09
Well, I can say definitely that colleagues can be friends. I can't figure out why you cannot make friends with your colleagues despite the five reasons you gave. There must be some one who shares with you the same interests and ideas. If you have no friens around you, then with whom do you communicate with? Making friends with colleagues is of great benefit. When you are in trouble, they can help to get through; when you are happy, they come to share your happiness. So I suggest you trying to make friends with colleagues.
• China
30 Mar 09
Friends,I mean the person whom you can tell anything to her/him,not just communicate with them. I communicate with my colleagues every day,about work,shopping,cooking etc. But I won't tell my secret to them,I only tell these private something to my firends,we are schoolfellows. Wish you have a good time with your colleagues. :)
@youless (112096)
• Guangzhou, China
30 Mar 09
I agree with you. Although I can get on well with my colleagues, but it doesn't mean that they are my friends. I am nice to them because they are my colleagues. On the contrary, I can be true to myself when I am with my real friends. I can talk with them about anything and it doesn't matter that we will even have arguments. I can lose my temper to them, too. And if they go to my home, I will just ask them to get whatever they like to drink or eat. I don't have to be polite to serve them. This is the difference. I love China
• China
30 Mar 09
Thanks for reply. I love China too!
• Canada
30 Mar 09
Are you kidding, they can be the best of friends, one of my best friend is my colleague, I met him at work like 5 years ago!@
• United States
30 Mar 09
I prefer not to be so close with people from work. Up until now, the only people I talk to regarding things are still my friends way back in high school. I have a good relationship with my colleagues at work, but not to the point of sharing everything about me the way I do with my high school friends. I consider my colleagues as my friends, but my best friends are still the same people I've been friends with since high school. =)
@kevends (47)
• China
30 Mar 09
I think, to make friends with each other,you two should have the common interest.so that you can have the same topic.and sometimes, if you open yourself to others,they may trust you,and would like to share their experience with you.then you two may become a friend.I believe it's better to make friends with your colleague,as you're in the same environment,you'll meet each other very often like we say:a friend is better than an enemy.
• United States
30 Mar 09
colleagues could turn out to be more than friends even up to being so close like brothers.... i once had a colleague and we got so close that we were called brothers wherever we went to... so its very normal and it happens
@vickycity (154)
• China
30 Mar 09
I am still a student in college. Maybe I can't feel what you feel. but in my opinion, friends must have something same with each other, if there is nothing same between two people, they can not be friend.
• China
30 Mar 09
Hi,how is going It is pity for that.I know some people is difficult to communication as different hobbies.I have made many friends of colleagues!
@pawan80 (36)
• India
30 Mar 09
Anybody can be friend if you develop positive bonding and understanding with them. Everybody wants true and fair relationship but many things are coming in the way.
@parvezs (105)
• India
30 Mar 09
Yes ofcourse colleagues can also be friends. Infact my colleagues have become my very good friends and we enjoy working together. They help me in my difficult tasks and when they need I do the same. We many a times share our problems with each other and try to help whatever we can do. It becomes easy to work when our colleagues becomes our friends.
30 Mar 09
YES! It would be good cuz then you would be working with mates!
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I think it really depends what type of work place it is and how much you would have in common. I think for me, I don't have a lot in common with people at work because I am in college and actually trying to do something with my life, whereas they are going to be stuck doing office work for a very long time. We can be friendly though even without having the same opinions. Well, at least a lot of us can be. Some people just seem to be real jerks and cannot get along with anyone. But either way I don't really care much as long as they leave me out of it. I just have to think that I will be able to leave eventually, while they'll be stuck there.
@subha12 (18441)
• India
30 Mar 09
It is a question to answer. I have seen many colleagues are good friends. Some have even fallen in love and got married. But ideally professional relationship must be profession. you can chat little way with them.But never be intimate friends.
@jaded22 (828)
• Philippines
30 Mar 09
hi there. Well as for me, in the previous company that I worked, I was friends with my colleagues. I had good relationship with them. But some things happened - some to the extent that are below the belt, and that relationship had never been the same again. So.. Friends with colleagues? Possible. I'm sure that there are people out there who would agree with that. But as for me, I still haven't found the right working environment for me to have 'best friends' who are my colleagues. That's just my experience. Good day!
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 09
l understand your problem. l also found that not easy to make friends with my ex-colleagues. However, l just able to make friend with my 2 ex-colleagues. They are becoming my friends become we are having same interests. You're right, if you can't find any same interest with any of your colleagues, then you can't make friends with them. My other colleagues also didn't make friends with me because of different interest..
• United States
30 Mar 09
I think that you may be looking at this from a slightly, glass half empty, point of view. The fact that you come from different geographic, educational, and personal backgrounds, presents an opprotunity to learn about them, and in turn, for them to learn about you and the knowledge you have to offer. Some of the most interesting people I am friends with have absolutely NOTHING in common with me. I think that's why we get along so well. Our unique backgrounds offers us a wide array of knowledge, experience and opprotunity to share new things with each other. I think that you should give them a shot. Think of what you could be missing. "A man that has friends, shows himself friendly"