When you work in an office, there are lots of different personalities at play, and you may have some colleagues you get along with better than others. Now there's no rule stating that you must befriend each and every person employed by your company. But it does pay to build relationships with these key people at work.
1. The office manager
The office manager is the person tasked with making sure things run smoothly. He or she is also the person who can hook you up with hard-to-find supplies, note your preferences when placing the office snack order, and adjust the air conditioner to suit your needs, provided they're reasonable. Sure, the office manager may not be the person who will help you work through job-specific challenges, but he or she is a good person to get along with nonetheless.
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2. The IT person
Like most people, you probably rely heavily on technology in the course of your job. And you probably know all too well that when your computer starts glitching, your internet connection stops working, or your content management system refuses to load, you stand to miss deadlines and fall behind due to no fault of your own. That's why it really pays to establish a solid relationship with the office IT person. Chances are, he or she will serve as your lifeline the next time technology fails you, and if you want to be pushed to the front of his or her queue, a few friendly words here and there wouldn't hurt.
3. The lifer
Chances are, your company employs one of those people who has been with the business forever. Maybe he or she started at the bottom, climbed the ranks, and plans on staying put until retirement. Do yourself a favor and develop a solid rapport with that person, because you never know when his or her wealth of knowledge might serve as an invaluable resource for you. In fact, you may even go so far as to ask that person to serve as your mentor. But to get there, you'll first need to put in your time engaging in conversation, and perhaps going out for the occasional lunch.
4. The jack of all trades
Many offices employ someone who just seems to be good at everything, from number-crunching to data analysis to graphic-driven presentations. Getting to know that person could come in handy the next time you're stuck on a problem and your team members don't have any useful solutions to offer up. People who are naturally good at a variety of things tend to get there by having a can-do attitude, and that's a good thing to have rub off on you, too.
It should go without saying that the more people you develop relationships with on the job, the better. But if your company employs hundreds of staff members, you can't feasibly get to know everyone. If that's the case, then be sure to focus on these and other key people who can make your life easier at the office.
