Women at Work

Work Friendships Are Mostly Amazing and Sometimes Messy


Listen Later

Say you get along especially well with a colleague. You find yourself hanging out at each other’s desks, texting instead of emailing, meeting up for lunch over the weekend—you’re friends. That’s all well and good…until work puts your friendship to the test. Maybe you disagree over how to approach a project (and hesitate to tell her), or you want to offer her an assignment (but worry how that would come off to others), or she scores a promotion (that you wanted).

We talk through some of the conflicts that frequently come up between friends at work with two researchers who’ve studied these relationships. They give advice on how to respectfully set boundaries and face stressful moments. We also hear from two women who became friends at work and have stayed friends long after they stopped being coworkers.

Our HBR reading list:

    • What to Do When a Work Friendship Becomes Emotionally Draining,” by Amy Gallo
    • Why Work Friendships Go Awry, and How to Prevent It,” by Art Markman
    • Having Work Friends Can Be Tricky, but It’s Worth It,” by Emma Seppälä and Marissa King
    • Work Friends Make Us More Productive (Except When They Stress Us Out),” by David Burkus
    • Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.

      Join us for a live episode taping in Boston on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The event is free, but you need to register to get in.

      Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      Women at WorkBy Harvard Business Review

      • 4.8
      • 4.8
      • 4.8
      • 4.8
      • 4.8

      4.8

      1,366 ratings


      More shows like Women at Work

      View all
      Modern Love by The New York Times

      Modern Love

      8,883 Listeners

      The McKinsey Podcast by McKinsey & Company

      The McKinsey Podcast

      384 Listeners

      Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

      Coaching for Leaders

      1,469 Listeners

      HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

      HBR IdeaCast

      151 Listeners

      All Ears English Podcast by Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

      All Ears English Podcast

      2,244 Listeners

      Round Table China by China Plus

      Round Table China

      154 Listeners

      Cold Call by HBR Presents / Brian Kenny

      Cold Call

      196 Listeners

      Dear HBR: by Harvard Business Review

      Dear HBR:

      743 Listeners

      After Hours by TED Audio Collective / Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, & Felix Oberholzer-Gee

      After Hours

      1,249 Listeners

      Eat Your Crust by Crystal Jiao, Jeesoo Kim

      Eat Your Crust

      233 Listeners

      The Anxious Achiever by Morra Aarons-Mele

      The Anxious Achiever

      570 Listeners

      Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

      Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

      827 Listeners

      No Stupid Questions by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

      No Stupid Questions

      3,626 Listeners

      Coaching Real Leaders by Harvard Business Review / Muriel Wilkins

      Coaching Real Leaders

      676 Listeners

      HBR On Strategy by Harvard Business Review

      HBR On Strategy

      81 Listeners

      HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

      HBR On Leadership

      170 Listeners

      New Here by Harvard Business Review

      New Here

      82 Listeners

      English Learning Podcast by EnglishPod

      English Learning Podcast

      55 Listeners