Working Relationship

This is a follow-up to the post Relationships Relate:

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It has been said that that generation Y workers tend to value socializing more in the work place than other generations do. This makes me question what makes a relationship at work (pardon the pun) work.

I know from experience that there have been different relationships based upon my role with others. There also are examples of situations where the relationship did or did not work:

Author's note: Names have been withheld to protect the innocent.

I knew a girl at work who at first seemed to be quite relaxed and laid back. I found out off hand that she attended the same college as I did. I later found out that there was a preseason basketball game sponsored by the alumni association. I invited her because I felt that she would have fun going to see a game. I don't remember the words that she said, but it gave me the impression that my offer was more than just a friendly get together which deeply offended me. We went to the game, but went separate ways after the game was over. I went to the reception after the game and reconnected with several former roommates and had a lot more fun with them than I did with her.

Just blame it on my Libra tendencies, but I feel that having a balance between being personal and professional makes getting along with others in the workplace more effective. Those people that do not always act professional are typically more approachable because they are not overly serious. They are the kind of people who are professional and get respect for the work they do because they do their work so well.

Jump forward eighteen years. I worked with a girl who was just the same age as the other person. The only difference was that she was more than willing to go out to lunch with any of her co-workers. I think the difference was that she knew the importance of socializing and was able to balance the work that she did with the social aspect of work. There was an unwritten limit that we all knew and we were well aware of where the line was and never crossed it.

I'll leave you with a few pondering thoughts… What makes a relationship "work"? Is there some magic formula that makes having a relationship easier or more difficult?