The workplace environment is a really weird place. It's just kind of awkward, honestly. People tend to be rather surface level in conversations and really conservative with what they choose to share and choose not to share. Honestly, it's just a hard place to get to know people for who they really are and what backgrounds they're coming from. Guards are up and work is the focus.
If you really want to get to know someone, outside the work environment is the place to do it. Work is finally set on the back burner, there isn't as strict of a 'professionalism' code and conversations can last longer than a casual, "Hey, how ya doin?". It's almost a neutral zone the drops people's comfort, work-safe-environment bubble. It's great.
I'm about two and a half weeks into a job in Tulsa that I just started, and tonight was one of the first nights I really felt like I got to know my co-workers. After an evening of hosting clients at a business party, we all got to go out for drinks and get to know one another past the point of, "How was your weekend?". We got to know one another's musical tastes, stories from childhoods past and tales of adventures we'd all been on. Come to find out, we actually all had quite a lot in common. It was a special moment, and honestly, one of the realest, most special moments I've had at this job.
There's something to be said for knowing who you're working for and who you're working with past the point of, "How are you?". It's important. After all, these are people you spend 8+ hours with a day, five days a week. It's important to actually know the people you're surrounded by and working with because why? Because it's important to be able to know how to love your neighbor. In order to do this, it takes being intentional and getting outside of the work environment to know someone, either that or being extremely intentional with the time you do have in the work environment.
Maybe this is just coming from someone who's new to a job. Maybe I'm wrong; maybe you do get to know people on another level after working with them for so long. I don't know, but I do know this- I'm a lot further along getting to know my fellow co-workers tonight than I was 24-hour ago.
Get to know someone in your work place this week outside of the workplace. See what happens.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: The workplace is made to be a place of intentional relationship. Intentional relationship produces successful work.