10 FRIENDS to Keep in 2020 (At Work)

The barrage of lists never ends, especially at the end of the year. It’s too late for me to be on the list of “Thirty Under Thirty.” I know proud people on the list of “Forty Under Forty.” I am waiting for the expansive list of “Eighty Over Eighty.” Why not? 

The prediction lists are ubiquitous too. Most predictions are tech related and don’t always create a reason to rejoice. In fact, it was a blaring headline on LinkedIn that gave me the idea for this post. The headline was “Ten Trends to Watch in 2020”. I misread the word “trends” as “friends” and looked forward to reading it but the trends were all about 5G and virtual reality. 

in the spirit of predictions, trends and a better workplace, here are the Ten Friends You Need in 2020…

1. The Friend Who Tells the Truth. Far beyond telling you that a piece of spinach is stuck in your tooth, you need one friend who will be brutally honest with you about all things like office politics and performance.

2. The Friend Who Lies to You. You danced a slow dance with your boss’s spouse at the holiday party while a little tipsy. You need a friend who will tell you not to worry about it, that no one noticed.

3. The Friend Who Works Out With You (Or Not). Getting in shape and/or losing weight are the goals we all set. A friend will help you reach that goal. If you don’t work out, a friend won't make you feel guilty for what you are not doing.

4. The Friend Who Nags Just a Little.   Someone needs to remind you to stop looking at your phone all the time and to not work on weekends. This friend can also be called a coach.

5. The New Friend. We are never too old to make new friends. Set your sights on interesting people and make new friends. Not Facebook friends, real ones.

6. The Different Friend. It’s a big diverse world but we tend to be friends with people just like us. Break that mold. Make a friend who is not the same race, age, sexual persuasion or politics. You might learn something.

7. The Adventurous Friend. We all get stuck. Go to work, go home, repeat and repeat. Find a friend who will get you out of your comfort zone whatever that might be. Hang gliding?

8. The Creative Friend. The world is much more than pivot tables and PowerPoints. The poets, painters, writers and creative types are everywhere, but hiding.  Look for them and complement your own thinking.

9. The Mentor Friend. When you need advice, you need that go-to person. You might have to work on this one, a good mentor is hard to find. A mentor needs to be genuinely interested in you.

10. Be Your Own Best Friend. Be gentle to yourself, don’t work too much and beware of stress. Almost every element of your friendships with others will be dictated by your work habits.

You can’t have too many friends and your life, especially at work, is made more satisfying with friends. Don’t be shy, make some friends.

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Richard is the author of the new book The Thing About Work: Showing Up and Other Important Matters [A Worker’s Manual]. You can follow his writing on Twitter, Facebook, or at his website at richardmoran.com.

Richard is a noted San Francisco based business leader, workplace pundit, bestselling author and venture capitalist.