A lot of the questions I get from others revolve around the theme of working with two of my best friends. This concept to most can feel unapproachable, high-risk and irresponsible. But to me, it’s been the greatest gift.
Choosing the right friends for the job
This can actually be the hardest part when it comes to working with friends. The whole point of having a friend is that you enjoy being in their presence and choose to be around them. When it comes to work, it isn’t that simple. You can love all of your friends and simultaneously not want to do work with them. One of my closest friends and I always joke that we could never work together and it's true! We’d kill one another.
Respecting each person’s personality type
When thinking about which friends to hire, think about who can fill the gaps, what their strong suits are and how they can help make the business better. I, for one, love having friends that are different from me and believe that it is what makes this machine work.
Having honest conversations…even when it’s really hard
This is the second hardest part of the job. When you work with friends it is not as naturally professional as working with an old coworker or a complete stranger might be. This is because there are emotions involved and ultimately, because they are your friends you want the best for them. I always tell both of the friends that I work with that if they ever got an offer from another company/job of their dreams, I would encourage them to take it. And although I would miss them, I ultimately just want them to be happy. This is key!
Allowing them to teach you things
Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned have been from the friends that I work with and something I say is what makes working with friends one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. This is because they know me better than anyone and can so easily point out things that they know scare me, what I need to work on, and always offer support.