\n<\/p>\n
At the same time, workplace friendship takes two willing hands to clap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emotional maturity means recognising that not every colleague wants \u2013 or needs \u2013 a friendship beyond work.<\/p>\n
Some co-workers may value you deeply as a colleague and prefer to keep their personal lives separate.<\/p>\n
That is not rejection. Respecting another’s boundaries is itself a form of professionalism and care.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These are friendships that have lasted long after we stopped working together.<\/p>\n
Other times, people in the workplace are simply colleagues \u2013 trusted, reliable and professional.<\/p>\n
Perhaps colleagues do not need to become friends.<\/p>\n
It is enough that we trust them to do their work, to respect our differences and to stand alongside us when it matters.<\/p>\n
But if, along the way, some of those relationships grow into friendship, it is a quiet blessing to be grateful for \u2013 not something to expect.<\/p>\n
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.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n