In praise of turning colleagues into friends – and why it may help your career

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We used to talk all the time – we’d send each other funny videos and links and even chatted while we were on holiday.” Despite having the kind of relationship that many would deem a close friendship, she never saw them as “friends”. Weirdly, it felt totally natural, if a bit shocking, and I realised I’d been in denial all that time about how close we really were.” As work and life relationships merge, it can be easy to hold these friendships in the in-between stage, where someone you see every day and talk to most evenings never really feels like a true friend. “When individuals are promoted to managing their friends I've seen them struggle with how they should or shouldn't behave with their colleagues now.” But she doesn’t think this is a reason to discourage such friendships, in fact, it’s a sign that companies should work towards more transparency. Independent Minds Events: get involved in the news agenda He says: “To assess if a work relationship could develop into a ‘real-life’ friendship, think about what you gain from, and give in, your current friendships.