Do you need friends at work?

Friendships have been tricky for me. When I was a kid, I often felt awkward and I experienced being ostracized. When I was a young adult, I made great friendships, but often felt I was masking myself to appear more extroverted, fun, and interesting. I never really liked partying and being in loud crowds, and I didn't even consider work friendships. 

Now that I've been coaching for a loooooong time (wow -time flies!), most of my deepest adult friendships are thoroughly supported by being excellent, accepting, loving listeners and witnesses to one another's lives. And the majority of my friendships are around work, because working in the coaching world is so relational and rich by nature.

We all know that having friends enhances our well-being, confidence, and happiness. As adults, however, friendships often intersect with the workplace because we spend so much time there, with increasing overlap between our professional and personal lives.

Coaching skills can play a crucial role in nurturing true friendships, both at work and beyond. For me, my friendships and work relationships have become so much more satisfying. And a new report out of the UK shows that more and more people are finding importance in having close friends at work. Out of Gen Zers, for example, 61% feel they NEED a friend at work, and wouldn't stay long in a workplace without a friend. 

That makes a lot of sense to me! I don't know that I'd last long at Awaken, if I weren't also having regular deep conversations and friendships - and even just hilarious WhatsApp messages - with people like Val, Leani, Joan, Thomas, Eve and others on our faculty and inner team. 

These friendships are not just about companionship for me. It's about a sense of belonging and motivation and community. It's so important to me that we have a healthy work environment where each of us is doing what we love. That involves some grief, too, because sometimes people move beyond work roles and need to make changes - and we love one another enough to let go, while maintaining the loving relationships.

In the post-pandemic world, the significance of workplace friendships has only grown. Gallup research indicates that having a best friend at work is strongly linked to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates, especially now that we're all working remotely much of the time. Our coaching skills have been essential in cultivating deeper connections, because we emphasize empathy, active listening, and support—that doesn't go away in the workplace.

Coaching at Awaken is fundamentally about creating brave spaces where individuals can express themselves, explore their dreams, and receive support. And we don't reserve that solely for those privileged coaching conversations. It's a way of being.

Every day at work, we're practicing active listening, helping our friends feel truly heard and valued. Instead of offering solutions, a coaching approach encourages friends and colleagues to discover their own answers, empowering them in the process. This mirrors the supportive and non-judgmental nature of genuine friendships, where advice is given carefully, understanding is important, and healthy boundaries are met with respect.