Message #65649

[raindance]

It all depends on circumstances, Dettu.  

If you are at management level and you have a friend who is a subordinate, then that can present a difficulty.  What happens when you have to discipline that person?  A similar dilemma may occur if you own the company.  Equally, there may be difficulties if you are, say, EA to the CEO and you have friends in other departments - how do you avoid being indiscreet?  What would you do, for instance, if you knew that your friend in Works and Facilities was about to be made redundant or fired for being late/dishonest etc?  

My own policy towards my colleagues is to be friendly and helpful to everyone, to make them feel noticed and valued, but not to be familiar and not to have favourites.  I try to spend some time with everyone, to get to know them and their concerns and problems. With some of the younger admins, there's mentoring and general professional encouragement to be done, particularly as some want to go on to better things. Sponsoring someone's charity bike ride, remembering their birthdays, asking after their aged parents etc etc, is very important.  Being approachable is key, particularly for new colleagues just feeling their way in their jobs.

My really close friends are outside work, and some of them have been friends with me since I was a little girl.  They are people with whom I can let down my hair and do mad things or serious things as the mood takes us.  I probably wouldn't tell even them all my secrets; some things in life are just meant to be private.  Besides, if everyone knows everything about a person, life gets boring.