Photo courtesy *USB*

"The development of trusting relationships is a significant emotional compensation for employees in today’s marketplace."

Gallup has made the term "best friend at work" popular through it’s Q12 framework for employee engagement. Every time I’ve come across this question, it’s made me wonder what characterizes a best friend at work.

Come to think of it, a "best friend at work" can’t be too different from a "best friend". A person who knows you well & you regard with affection & trust. Someone you like spending time with. Well, all of this applies & then some more.

"If you really want to know how your behaviour comes across to your colleagues and clients, stop looking in the mirror and admiring yourself. Let your colleagues hold the mirror and tell you what they see."

What characterizes a best friend at work?

• IS willing to be a mirror & tell you for who you are professionally, rather than wait for your foes to have a field day at your expense
• IS truly interested in your well being & your development
• GOES the extra mile to understand your point of view
• DOES NOT always get swayed by what you want to hear
• IS NOT just a buddy who pretends to remain friends but secretly despises you (this happens a lot)
• IS NOT just a buddy with mutual animosity towards a common enemy

"While companies often pay significant attention to loyalty toward the organization, the best employers recognize that loyalty also exists among employees toward one another. All employees have "leaving moments" when they examine whether to leave or stay at an organization. The best managers in the world observe that the quality and depth of employees’ relationships is a critical component of employee loyalty."

Its one thing is for the organization & its managers to be aware of the importance of a "best friend". But why should you as an individual be too bothered about it?

1. A best friend measurably improves your life. Studies reveal that if your best friend has a healthy diet, you are five times as likely to have a healthy diet yourself. If your best friend is not physically active, you are probably not, either.

2. Organizations are but a collection of individuals. You can individually contribute to building a trusting & positive work environment by being someone’s best friend. 

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”

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Some other reading on the topic:

• Friends at Work, Mark Vernon
• Best friend at work?, TIMESJOBS.COM
• People with pals at work more satisfied, productive, book review of Tom Rath’s Vital Friends
• Feedback, Honesty and Change, Marshall Goldsmith
• Are your friends true or toxic?, Goodlife ZEN