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Considering how much time the average person spends at work, building friendships with colleagues is not only helpful but sometimes it’s necessary to survive in challenging work environments. Studies have shown that workplace friendships can have a significant impact on job satisfaction. At the same time, they can yield highly disastrous results when not approached carefully. You can ensure that your work friendships are working for you and not against you, by keeping these simple guidelines in mind.

Establish boundaries

It’s important to establish clear boundaries with friends in workspaces because you want to always maintain a level of professionalism. Make it extremely clear what is acceptable and unacceptable. Many relationships have gone south because work friends mistakenly overstep boundaries.

Nothing good can come from bullying

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Steer clear of cliques

Forming multiple friendships at work is one thing, but workplace cliques can be highly problematic. Often times, cliques fail to socialize with those outside of their immediate friend circle. Not only does this make things uncomfortable for other colleagues, but it also stunts your career growth and can act as a barrier to new opportunities.

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Carefully weigh the pros and cons of connecting on social media

Often times, our social media accounts provide colleagues with insight into our lives that they may not otherwise have. If you’re more active on social media, before befriending co-workers on social media, consider whether or not you want to expose those aspects of your life to colleagues.

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Avoid cycles of negativity

When you work in a challenging environment, it can be nice to discuss your struggles with colleagues who understand exactly what you’re going through. However, it’s very easy to fall into cycles of negativity where complaining about work becomes a past time instead of a coping mechanism.