• Don’t exclude others. Having friends at work is about building camaraderie, not fostering cliques.
  • Do establish boundaries. Depending on what department you work in, some information about co-workers or confidential information are off limits.
  • Don’t spend more time in your friend’s cube than your own.
  • Do watch your IM and e-mail. Being careless with these conveniences could blow up in your face.
  • Don’t be guilty of TMI (too much information). Be mindful of your personal conversations.

Let’s face it, humans are social creatures: We’re bound to develop relationships at our offices. Just remember that in this situation there’s a heightened risk of cat fights, so fraternize with caution. If you’re able to make a long-lasting friend at work, more power to you. And if that friend works in a different department, even better. You’ll still have plenty of stories to share when you have that post-5:00 margarita.