The other day at work, I was joking with one of my colleagues that I don’t have any work friends – that my job basically keeps me chained to my computer, telephone, or out at a client site, so I rarely have the opportunity to go out to lunch or hit happy hour.
It’s not 100% true, but I really don’t socialize a whole lot while I’m at work other than with the people who sit right next to me, or the people who are on my project or leadership teams. Generally I thought this was a good thing – heads down worker, don’t waste a lot of time in idle conversation…
Yes, in general, it is a good thing….but a recent article on CNN.com caught my attention – Cliques in the Workplace. It highlighted some of the positives (in addition to the negatives that I’d thought of, plus some new ones). Guess I better get cliquin’ (is that even a word?!)
Benefits of being in a clique:
- Association with people with good reputations
- Connections that pay off through partnerships/teamwork and informal learning
- Mentoring
Drawbacks:
- Association with people with not-so-good reputations
- Atmospheres of exclusivity
- Potential for misinformation (that’s why it’s called gossip, people, not facts)
How cliquey is your office? Do you participate? What have you learned?
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