Your Office Squad: A How to Guide

• By School of Health Professions
• January 23, 2025
• Health

Fostering meaningful connections in the workplace can improve your mental health and even improve your productivity. But what are the best ways to make friends at work, navigate differences and nurture those relationships?

Lynn Jennings, PhD, LPC-S, LSOTP-S, and Nicole Noble, PhD, LPC-S, joined the TTU Health Check podcast to share their expertise and advice on this topic. Dr. Jennings is an Assistant Program Director/Instructor for the TTUHSC Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in the Department of Clinical Counseling and Mental Health. Dr. Noble is an Assistant Professor for the program. 

The Importance of Connectedness

“Connectedness is such a vital part of our day to day,” Dr. Jennings says. “We learned a lot about that during Covid.”

She explains that isolation affects our physical and mental health. In fact, research shows that one-third of Americans feel lonely. If that is the case, why is it so hard for adults to make friends? She says that past hurts and trust issues can make this an apprehensive practice for many adults.

Dr. Noble shares that our society isn’t set up in a way to connect with people as much as we used to. She also notes that in terms of the workplace, the average number of years someone stays in a job is far less than it used to be.

But the research shows what is most important for our health and longevity are, in fact, our relationships. That social connection can be so meaningful in our lives, even our work lives. 

According to Gallup, inc., research shows work friends provide essential social and emotional support, having a best friend at work now ties more strongly to key business outcomes. 

Making Friends at Work

The pair puts it simply - the people that we work with tend to have the same interests and social circles. And as far as completing your work with excellence, two heads are better than one. 

“You’ll be much more apt to fulfill more responsibilities and uphold your principles when you have trusted relationships around you in the workplace,” Dr. Jennings says.

Dr. Noble shares a different perspective - “It’s also just really helpful to have people you feel like you can fail with.”

Connecting Remotely

How does remote work impact meaningful relationships with our coworkers? Dr. Jennings shares that you have to be more purposeful in those connections, going the extra mile to build your relationship over zoom, that you might not have to do in an in-person environment. 

Some things to be aware of in this dynamic:

• Tone may be misconstrued a lot easier when you’re communicating remotely. Go the extra mile to clarify things rather than assuming the worst. 
• For those that are more shy or introverted, send extra little encouragement to build that bridge, like emojis or check ins. 

Building a Deeper Connection

Dr. Jennings and Dr. Noble share a few of their top suggestions:

• Practice intentional and purposeful communication.
• Always assume the best of your coworker. 
• Come up with a goal that you and your coworkers can work toward together. Helping with a shared goal brings people together.
• Invite coworkers for ways to connect outside of work, but be flexible and understanding of personal boundaries or circumstances.
• Be aware of nonverbal communication. Does your coworker seem focused and needs space? Do they seem like they are having a hard day and could use support and encouragement?

“Ultimately, if you are genuinely caring about others and being your true authentic self, it melts those walls and assumptions that people may have about you,” Dr. Jennings says. “It begins to build that bridge to connection, even in the workplace.”