Why being close at work can cause business problems

First of all, let me tell you that you might get to know your best friend ever at work. If that happens, forget this article and celebrate your friendship!

For the rest … let me give you some examples of consequences when being too close at work.

What means being too close? How can you be too close with someone?

It depends on the culture and business environment you live in. Some countries, in general, tend to be very close and relaxed at work. There might be no clear line between private and business life. Others have precise rules and can be described as formal. Private and business life is strictly separated. At work you would not talk about your family or hobbies. Conversations would be focused on what matters to the business and chitchatting would be avoided.

It also depends on the business size or type of organization you work for. Small businesses tend to be low on formality and share a sense of family belonging while large corporations result in a large workforce with maybe strong hierarchies and communication rules to obey (formal or informal ones). Law firms or banks score higher on formalism than marketing or IT companies.

Not to forget generational differences: Colleagues in their twenties tend to be less formal with each other than those in their fifties. While some older colleagues interpret a formal communication style as a sign of respect, the younger ones would describe the same behavior as conservative or stiff. A relaxed and open communication form would match their values better.

Being too close means that your business purpose is in doubt. Either temporarily or permanently. Either in one particular area or throughout the entire organization. This could lower your profit or damage your image (which would also result in a profit loss).

When observing employee behavior, being too close can show as follows:

• The friendship between two or more colleagues is more important than the wealth of the organization. This is not to be confused with a good work relationship however. You can be part of a high-performing team and enjoy working together. But the focus and priority would be the work result, not the friendship.
  

• Using a disrespectful and informal communication style. The closer you are with a person, the smaller the distance and it is hard to keep up a certain professional distance. Never underestimate the power of language and how it can negatively influence your work atmosphere or external image.
  

• Lacking discretion often comes with closeness. Colleagues who are close tend to share more information between each other. This becomes difficult when this information should not be shared between departments or through hierarchies.
  

• Corruption, varying from huge organized deals to small favors. You will grant me some kind of benefit at work and I will come and paint your house on the weekend. You will grant my child a special job and I will make sure that your requests will be considered first.
  

• Lacking a speak-up culture. People who like each other personally tend to avoid blaming each other or even reporting the other’s misconduct. They also criticize less.
  

• Speaking about misconduct, you will also notice that people who are too close will try to avoid separations. They would not want to feel guilty by doing harm to the other person’s life.
  

• It is not rare that organizations adapt to the people. Actually, this is great if well balanced. You want to accommodate talents and stay attractive as an employer. But if your organization resembles a rag rug, you might be avoiding conflicts and necessary separations which keep the company healthy. 
  

In summary, only focus on your particular business and what is right in your environment. Two companies can be neighbors and still need different approaches. If you are successful and your workforce is happy, chances are high that you are not too close. If you started thinking about one or more statements I just mentioned, you might want to dig further and reflect on potential ways to change your culture.