Am I missing out if I don’t lunch with colleagues? Here’s what I realised about friendships at work

I’ve been fortunate to have made such friends through my career: people who offered honest feedback because they genuinely wanted to see me grow, even if it meant having uncomfortable conversations. They care about both my professional development and family. 

These are friendships that have lasted long after we stopped working together.

Other times, people in the workplace are simply colleagues – trusted, reliable and professional.

Perhaps colleagues do not need to become friends.

It is enough that we trust them to do their work, to respect our differences and to stand alongside us when it matters.

But if, along the way, some of those relationships grow into friendship, it is a quiet blessing to be grateful for – not something to expect.

Associate Professor May Lim is the assistant provost for applied learning at the Singapore Institute of Technology, who previously researched social skills while pursuing a PhD in occupational therapy.