In every workplace, friendships, bonds and relationships are formed. It’s not uncommon to find groups of coworkers spending a great deal of time together, either on the lunch room or after hours. In larger workplaces a number of these groups can form, and people will often refer to them as “cliques.”

It is certainly not a bad thing to have strong bonds with a group of coworkers. Quite the contrary – it’s these groupings that often make the workplace an interesting place to be. There is a very real danger, however, of becoming pigeon-holed in other peoples minds based on the people you associate with. This can potentially result in you becoming excluded from other interesting things, or different aspects of the business.

The answer? Make a strong effort to build bonds and relationships beyond your primary group. Become known as somebody that gets along with everybody. It will make your workplace more interesting and it will serve you well in your career as your network grows.