Friends and family in business

The nuances of working in the business with friends and family

Four pairs of words that provide a balance to the nuances that exist when your work includes the close relationships of friends and family.  

I.                    Roles and Responsibilities

II.                  Goals and Growth

III.                Trust and Travelling On

IV.               Communication and Commitment

Six questions that support conversations for leaders who want to dig into deeper into working effectively with your friends and family members at work:

1.      Are we friends first or are we employee/employer or fellow employees first?

2.      Are we clear on our roles and responsibilities or, over time and with familiarity with each other, has there been a blurring of the lines?

3.      What happens to our trust in each other when performance falters?

4.      Does our friendship waver when things are tough at work?

5.      What goals do we have that are shared goals? What impact does this have on the business? On our friendship? On our family?

6.      Do you see growth in our family and friend relationships? If so, who is helping who to grow and develop? If we don’t see growth, why not?

Resources:

Mark Cole

Jody Gittell

Gallup Polls in the workplace