Nowadays, it’s hard to say where work starts and your personal life ends. Is it possible that bringing more of your weekend activities to the office could actually improve your working relationships and productivity?
(Photo Credit: Marco Pakoeningrat/Flickr)
Rather than use software to make browsing social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter at work impossible, more and more companies are choosing to not only allow time at work for online socializing, but to encourage it.
Facebook, the company, is doing so even more than others, points out Anne Fisher on Fortune. But how can using Facebook — like Facebook employees — improve your life in your office?
Improved Relationships
The better you know someone, the deeper your connection. Sure, it might not be important, in terms of the success of the project you’re working on, to know that your teammate collects old kites, but every piece of information you learn makes it more likely you’ll understand where the other is coming from, creating a smoother working relationship and avoiding misunderstandings before they start.
Feeling Connected
Many companies have some percentage of employees who work remotely. Embracing a Facebook-style networking system online can help those telecommuters feel more a part of the team. Checking in and seeing what everyone did over the weekend builds tighter relationships between coworkers. Seeing what they have in common can simulate the water-cooler talk they’re missing by working from home or another city.
More Productivity
When you’ve got everyone in the company at your fingertips and just a few clicks away, it can mean smarter and faster problem solving. You’re able to go directly to those colleagues who can help solve your issues, rather than wasting time. And you might also immediately be able to see if someone is out of the office on vacation, on a lunch break and back soon, or swamped in work with no time to spare by their latest status update or emoticon usage.
Tell Us What You Think
Does your company encourage the use of Facebook at work? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
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