Forge Friendships with Older and Younger Colleagues
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It can be challenging to connect with coworkers who are older or younger than you and seem to be in very different life stages. But having relationships across age gaps can make work more fulfilling and lead to professional opportunities down the line.
The first step is to shift your mindset. Consider your coworkers as peers, regardless of their age. This simple reframing will take away some of the discomfort, making it easier to be authentic and initiate more organic discussions. Ask simple questions to find common ground. For example: How did they end up in their current role? What hobbies interest them? The idea here is to remember the topics, interests, and values that are important to them — just like you would with a friend.
If you do happen to hit it off, make an effort to water the plant — that is, to further invest in the relationship.Set up regular one-on-ones, perhaps biweekly, monthly, or quarterly, so you can get to know each other on a personal level. After forming a foundation of trust, you can also use these opportunities to exchange ideas, and even inspire one another.
Of course, not everyone will become a friend and you don’t want to force a relationship but taking these steps will help you find those people who you have a genuine connection with, even if you’re not at the same exact life stage.
Translations
🇨🇳 与年长和年轻的同事建立友谊
与比你年长或年轻，似乎处于非常不同的人生阶段的同事联系是很有挑战性的。 但跨越年龄差距的人际关系可以让工作更有成就感，并带来职业机会。
第一步是转变你的心态。把你的同事当成同龄人，不管他们的年龄。这种简单的重新规划会带走一些不舒服，让你更容易表现真实，并引发更自然的讨论。问一些简单的问题来找到共同点。例如:他们是如何得到现在的职位的?什么爱好让他们感兴趣?这里的想法是记住对他们来说重要的话题、兴趣和价值观，就像你对朋友一样。
如果你们真的很合得来，那就努力给这株植物浇水，也就是说，为你们的关系做进一步的投资。建立定期的一对一交流，可以是每两周、每月或每季度一次，这样你们就可以在个人层面上了解对方。在建立了信任的基础之后，你们也可以利用这些机会来交流思想，甚至互相激励。
当然，不是每个人都能成为你的朋友，你也不想勉强建立一段关系，但采取这些步骤会帮助你找到那些与你有真正联系的人，即使你们不在同一人生阶段。
