Queen and Henriette met at a job interview, which they both passed, cementing their almost instant friendship. Even if they didn't work in the same department, they would still meet for lunch and coffee breaks.
They also connected outside of the office, strengthening their bond even more. They would rant to each other about everything, including their work situations, and provide each other with the emotional support that anyone would need from a friend.
However, when Queen's performance began to deteriorate due to a personal situation she was dealing with, Henriette did not back her as she would have expected from a friend. Queen was disappointed and hurt by her only friend's lack of support.
Henriette too, on the other side, was in a bit of a prickle. She held a high position at their workplace, so she was required to sanction Queen as she would any other employee. This was no ordinary employee; it was her best friend. "Does loyalty to work take precedence over loyalty to a friend?" she wondered.
The problem for both Queen and Henriette is that they did not differentiate between their personal and professional friendships.
Status inequality can be hard on friendships and in the worst cases, people aren’t able to work harmoniously together once their friendship falls apart.
Cassie Shortsleeve at Men'sHealthNews advises to set boundaries even with the closest friends. It is best not to share the most vulnerable stories with coworkers in order to avoid personalizing the workplace atmosphere, which may be uncomfortable later on in the event of a disagreement or other conflicts.It is also advised not to take decisions made by people in positions of authority at work personally. When people fail to draw a distinction between work and personal friendships, it may delay or affect decision-making or implementation by taking into account personal sentiments that have nothing to do with work.
A chat here and there is okay with your work friends, but stay professional, she notes.
One also ought to handle grievances quickly when it comes to the workplace. In the case of Queen and Henriette, working together again may become very hard.
Personal disputes should be resolved using a conflict resolution method. Perhaps meeting with the person with whom you are having difficulties to iron out the issue calmly and rationally in order to work courteously and professionally with each other.
Having friends at work is important. Those who will help you succeed in your career, for example. However, it is essential to keep them cordial.
Other ways to separate work and friendship are;
Do not discuss work outside of work
Do not discuss personal issues at work, unless they impact work performance
Make personal plans on personal time
Specify your role when offering advice. For instance, "Speaking as your manager,” "Speaking as your friend”
Don’t ask favors at work, in the name of friendship.
One needs to avoid favoritism, special treatment, special exceptions, protection or consideration of any kind in the name of friendship. This may create resentment among other colleagues or causes you to lose credibility as a leader.
Ask yourself, would you behave the same way if you didn’t have a personal history with this individual? It might be hard sometimes, but remember, business is business.