Getting along with your coworkers is a beautiful thing. It can make your workday less dreary, help you focus better, and make you more productive.
While making work friends can be awkward, one way to break the ice is to start complaining.
Don’t ask to borrow money
Most of us have forgotten to bring cash or our wallet to work once or twice. Randall says that in this rare occasion, it might be OK to ask your understanding coworker to borrow some money for lunch.
“But if your wallet is always in your ‘other purse,’ don’t be surprised if you’re excluded from future lunches,” she says.
Stop using the phrase ‘honestly’
Barbara Pachter, an etiquette expert and author of “The Essentials of Business Etiquette,” says that drawing attention to your honesty at that moment can lead people to wonder, “Aren’t you always honest with me?”
Don’t spread rumors
“Spread gossip, and you become labeled as a gossip,” says Vicky Oliver, author of “Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers & Other Office Idiots” and “Power Sales Words.”
“Negative comments about a coworker to another coworker will make you look worse than the person you’re talking about, and guess who will be the one who looks bad when it gets back to the person you’re talking about?” Randall says.
Don’t tell your coworker you like the way her pants fit on her
Be selective about what you compliment.
Commenting about a coworker’s physical appearance is considered unprofessional, Randall says — and worse, could be sexual harassment.
Don’t tell a coworker, ‘You people are always causing problems’
Topics like religion, politics, and child-rearing sometimes come up in the workplace, Randall says. But to negatively comment about any group is unwise and unprofessional, and it could get you in trouble for harassment.