Workplace Friendship: Why Everyone Needs a "Megan"

Have you met Megan Stewart? 

Megan is my person at work—and unless you are brand-new to Something Major, the answer is probably “yes,” whether you realize it or not. That’s because no new idea makes it to you without first passing muster with her… and let me tell you something: she is not an easy critic. 

My champion and my truth-teller, Megan is more than a “work friend” or even a “best friend.” She’s my most trusted advisor and somebody I can always count on to have my back. 

A meeting in Megan’s office years ago led to a friendship that has spanned two companies, two cities, four kids, and the better part of a decade: through dream jobs and nightmare bosses, births and miscarriages, we’ve shared a lot—including a physical desk.

In the process we’ve forged a unique bond as friends who are peer mentors, and peer mentors who are friends. It’s a relationship based on trust, radical candor, an unparalleled regard for each other’s professional abilities, and a deep personal affection for one another.

By the way, when I say radical candor, I mean radical candor. While she is my champion, she is not just my on-demand cheerleader. In fact, one of my favorite Megan-isms of all time is a “pump up” text I received about a month ago for something I was really nervous about. It read: “You’ve got this! At your best, you’ll be absolutely phenomenal and at your worst, you’ll still be mediocre!” 

… and that is exactly why I treasure having her in my corner. For the record, it ended up being phenomenal as I proudly called her to tell her afterwards. 

So, is it any wonder that Megan’s opinion is required when I’m taking a big risk, making a tough call, or brainstorming a new idea? Or that she’s my first call when I’m celebrating a huge win, feeling disappointed, or just need to get pumped-up before a big speaking engagement? Of course not--and it’s exactly why I drop everything to pick up her calls whenever they come in to do the same for her.

Even though we don’t formally “work together” anymore, we actually work together all the time. In fact, while it’s been years since we worked together in the same office, we still keep a standing weekly check-in during business hours. We catch up, chat through challenges, and tell each other the funny work stories we wouldn't share with anybody else. 

Our friendship matters and your workplace friendships should matter to you as well. Here’s why: 

Having work friends just makes us happy

I’m always brought back to that iconic scene in Legally Blonde, when Elle Woods is defending her innocent client, “I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands, they just don't.” You can’t beat the Elle Woods logic here. It’s just this simple: friendships bring us joy and we spend most of our time at work, so workplace friendships are a huge factor in making us feel “happy” every day. That’s why it’s no surprise that...

Workplace friendships are good for business

Importantly, workplace friendships don’t just make us happy, they make us better employees. According to Gallup, “When employees possess a deep sense of affiliation with their team members, they are driven to take positive actions that benefit the business— actions they may not otherwise even consider if they did not have strong relationships with their coworkers.” In a study called Why We Need Best Friends At Work, Gallup discovered these benefits to the business were far-ranging: they didn’t just increase employee engagement, but they also increased customer engagement and decreased safety incidents. Unsurprisingly when you put all three of those factors together, Gallup discovered that increasing the frequency of workplace friendships also increases the bottom line: making companies up to 12% more profitable… hmm, no wonder we broke revenue records together, Megan! 

Women can elevate each other through workplace friendships

What has always made my relationship work with Megan is that we have never, ever competed with each other. Instead we’ve practiced Shine Theory: the idea, coined by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, that “when you shine, I shine,” and that women win when they collaborate with each other instead of competing with each other. We’ve lived that collaboration and we don’t just have fond memories. We have years of shared victories--and the accompanying bonus checks--to prove just how fruitful that strategy was. It’s important to note that this isn’t something unique to us: in fact, there’s a famous story from the Obama White House about women practicing what they called “amplification.” When a woman at the table would make a point or policy recommendation, another woman would literally repeat (or “amplify”) her comment to make sure the idea got appropriate recognition and more air time. 

In a world with too few women leaders and too much Mean Girls politicking in the office, workplace friendships can be critical career accelerators for women. Megan’s support has had an immeasurable impact on my professional advancement: the millions of dollars in revenue we’ve generated together on business development teams is only the start. Her support and peer-mentoring have paid an ongoing, unquantifiable dividend: one making me a more successful, more courageous, and more capable professional…. and that’s exactly why everyone needs a Megan.

So who is your person at work and what do they add to your life? Get in touch with me: I want to hear your stories, see your pictures, and meet your friends. 

Randi Braun is a coach, consultant, speaker, and the Founder of Something Major. Get in touch with Randi via email or social (below). Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.