Work relations are extremely important, and different types of these relationships meet different ends. We’ll cover three: the companion, the crush, and the competition. Understanding how we relate to these can give a much needed boost to our workplace interactions and may be make Monday mornings easier too !
1- The Companion.
This is the work friend who’ll be with you shoulder to shoulder when you’ve had a tough conversation with your boss, close the door behind you when you’re about to cry, and give you honest feedback in the manner that suits you the most. Companions will make you feel that you’re full of potential and can pull of anything.
They are hard to find. These relationships develop over time. If you’ve worked long enough, you surely would’ve had one. Were you able to hang on to one?
2- The Crush.
The crush is your inspirer. You don’t want to be around them, you simply want them around all the time. This person can be a colleague you look up to or a mentor. This is a person you want to be like, you want to talk about and want to stay in your job for. They’ll add life to you, to your work and to your being. Not everyone finds their work crush but if you do find one, hang on tight.
3- The Competition.
We tend to choose friends who are similar to us, especially at work. But the more we have in common with someone, the more likely we are to compare ourselves to them. The competition is both our friend and our benchmark within the workplace.
The competition serves as motivation and is also a source of stress. This is a tricky partnership but if you handle it well, who knows…. may be a companion is in the offing!
Even the best of these relationships have a dark side. They take a lot of effort and are emotionally draining, just like family and close relatives can be. But are they worth it. you bet they are.
Chetan