How to break up with your work friend

Last month we gave you tips for making friends at work. Sometimes circumstances call for that relationship to end, so here are tips from Fast Company for breaking up with your work friend, whether it’s because you’re stepping into a management role or simply because your friend is the problem.

If you’re becoming their boss
Say a promotion becomes available and taking it would mean becoming your work friend’s line manager. You can’t let the relationship get in the way of your dreams, so you have to make a decision about how to handle the situation.

According to Attorney Nannina Angioni, workplace relationships can cause trouble when one is in a higher position than the other. Colleagues might think the manager is showing favouritism, which could lead to a breakdown in communication among the team.

Honesty is probably the best policy here. Have an open conversation with your friend to explain that you’d really like to take the promotion but you feel your relationship might jeopardise your chances. Explain how your friendship might be viewed by the rest of the team, and if they don’t understand or act out you’re well within your rights to get HR involved.

If things just aren’t working out
When you work with your friend, it means you’re with them for 40 hours a week or more. It’s easy for a relationship to break down after some time, especially if it’s a fledgling friendship. The other person also might completely misread the situation and think you’re best friends when you feel you’re more like acquaintances.

The obvious problem in this situation is that you still have to work with the other person even after you end the friendship (or reject it before it starts). You can easily make professional excuses, such as office politics or too much work on your plate, but the best thing to do is set boundaries from the beginning with every relationship.

Again, if things don’t go well you can always turn to HR or your manager for advice, or ask them to step in and help you out.

Read the original article at bit.ly/29QgCIw