Dealing with colleagues: Kenyans share their perspectives
Why do so many people live by the mantra that your colleagues are not your friends? I think it would be more beneficial to be open-minded about your relationship with colleagues and see how they measure up in other aspects of life.
However, this can prove to be tricky because the workforce dynamic ultimately determines your interactions with your colleagues. It takes a lot of grace and effort to maintain healthy and long-lasting relationships with the people you work with.
Of course, if you observe that a colleague is a terrible human being you’d be justified to minimize your relations with them. But I still don’t see the need to preempt that suspicion by being distant or standoffish with colleagues.
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But then, I don’t have many years of workplace experience and perhaps I’ll adopt a similar standpoint as I interact with more colleagues over the years.
Nonetheless, here’s what some Kenyans have to say on the matter.
Kevin Nduati; I’ve worked two jobs and I can confirm this to be true. Your workmates are just workmates. Yes you can keep an open mind but also be very careful with corporate interactions. Almost everyone is selfish and will always look out for their own selves. So, again, make money and go home.
Cecil Kenia; We find true friends and partners at work, especially when young. But chunga sana. Kuna nyoka wengi pia.
Caroline Njoki; I’ve been snitched multiple times the worst was when a guy reported to hr that I came to work drunk saizo malaya tumetoka kunywa na yeye.
Mark Otieno – Befriend your seniors, or at the very least interact with them frequently and break that employee/employer r/ship so long as it’s job related.
Jeffery Gitonga; Clock in, clock out, mind your business, don’t be too friendly and you will be surprised at how far you will go in your career…if it comes to a situation where the said”friend” has to choose your friendship or his/her work most probably he/she will choose the work before you ata kama ni kukugeuzia.Akuna mtu anaeza taka kumwaga unga.Everybody is looking after his/her interests.its called adulthood.
Henry Muriuki; My work colleagues can’t even view my WhatsApp statuses.