It’s important to define office relationships as we delve into the positive outcomes and
complications that may emerge from forming personal bonds in professional settings. To be clear
office relationships go beyond romantic relationships and may include platonic associations and
friendship.
So is it advisable to pursue or encourage personal relationships in the office? While good relations
are beneficial in terms of creating cohesion and fostering team work the dynamic surrounding
them may affect work and the team overall.
So what are some of the benefits and what are the shortcomings of office relationships?
Cohesion and team work:
Good relationships between colleagues more-so friendship may boost
productivity because individuals enjoy working with people they like. Positive office relationships
also ease internal communication and reduces the need for intervention by management to
encourage collaboration in teams.
Positive Culture:
Friction within a team is easy to note including by outsiders, such as clients. It
helps therefore to have people within a team be friendly, if not friends, get along and genuinely
have good feelings toward each other. This not only makes the work environment pleasant but
saves time that would be wasted on manoeuvring ever changing office politics
Team discomfort:In situations where a team member is close to or in a relationship with a superior
the other members of the team may feel intimidated. They may fear the repercussions resulting
from normal interactions such as disagreements which are expected. This creates a toxic
environment with people having to walk on egg shells and being constantly on edge
Favouritism
: Regardless of the rank or level of professionalism personal feelings will inevitably
affect engagements in and around the office (and on) projects. This is especially true about intense
personal relationships where they may be a bias; leading to better treatment and better
opportunities to ones spouse, lovers or friends
When you you choose to pursue out of office relationships with colleagues it is important to
consider the above factors and importantly the Human Resources policy regarding this in the
organisation you are a part of.
Have you ever been in an office relationship (platonic or otherwise) and how did it end?
