No two friendships are ever the same and that applies everywhere anywhere. Especially in the office. You get to know some people through work exchanges, some through friends and some, by the weird works of affinity. These people eventually form a friendship with you and how each friendship develops differs greatly. Some befriend you for the benefits they get from you, some are just fake. These are the five types of friends you meet at work.
Hi-bye Friends
Needless to say, there are some people whom you know exist in the office and they know of your existence as well. And when you bump into each other, it’s almost always a ‘hi’ or a ‘bye’. The furthest you’d go is to discuss about the temperature - either the weather outside or the temperature in the office.
Work Friends
These are people whom you have work relations with. You count them as a friend because you get along well, work together well. Without being cynical, both of you probably see the benefits of maintaining an amicable relationship rather than exchanging hostilities whenever one is chasing the other for work. With work friends, it’s all mostly about work and there is little chance that you will see this friend outside of work. Not to mention when one of you leaves the office.
Friends
Some work friends open up and share about things other than work. These are signs where you know the person trusts you and is opening up the other side of their lives to you. These people eventually progress from work friends to friends. You know with them it’s not just about work. If you need a listening ear or advice, you know you can count on them. With these ‘friends’, some go on and become your KTV crowd, shopping kakis or even fellow food hunter. Some though, their presence remain solely in the confines of the office owing to personal commitments. Nevertheless, you know you consider them friends.
Buddies
When you spend most of your waking hours in the office, five times a week, it is inevitable some people go on to become your buddies. You share everything anything going on in each other’s lives. Work is merely a secondary item that happens to bind you both. With buddies, the friendship is real and people go to great lengths to maintain the friendship even when they are no longer working together in the same company. At times, buddies even become the brothers or bridesmaid at the wedding.
Fake Friends
This article wouldn’t be real without the inclusion of fake friends. These are people who befriend you with an ulterior motive. Typically these ‘friends’ are drawn to people with something that they desire - money, power and the likes. You don’t think they exist but they do. Then again, not every fake friend is fake all the time. Some do go on and become one of the above. Sadly, some don’t. You just have to be wise enough to spot them.
Which type do your colleagues belong to? Do you know of any other types? Leave your comments in the comment box below!