Fun fact: having a friend at work can contribute to career growth. According to a Gallup poll, people who work with loved ones are 43% more likely to receive recognition and praise for their work. Many successful startups were opened by best friends: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak from Apple, Bill Gates and Paul Allen from Microsoft.
However, in some cases, friendships can greatly harm work. You spend so much time together, your personal and professional interests overlap so much that sometimes disagreements and conflicts can arise. To prevent this from happening, listen to the advice of experienced psychologists.
Set clear expectations
So that the relationship does not go wrong, you need to clearly state the role of each of you in business. Think about who will be assigned what responsibilities, who will be responsible for what area, who will have the casting vote, etc. If you do not distribute the roles in advance, then subsequently there may be misunderstandings that will lead to the collapse of the business and put an end to cooperation. For example, when one of you thinks that this or that problem should be solved by the other, or when both of you, for example, start to do the same things.
Track the dynamics
You must constantly communicate and monitor the dynamics of cooperation in order to understand whether you are moving in the right direction. It is advisable to set a schedule for meetings, meetings or calls. For example, agree that every last Friday of the month you will discuss how effective these or other methods, innovations, etc. have been. Or call in the evenings to share your impressions of the work done.
Do not forget to voice your concerns, fears, assumptions, even if a friend does not really like it. Only effective feedback will help you establish a harmonious relationship and together reach your desired goal.
Spend time outside work
You should not talk exclusively at work and talk only about business moments. For fruitful cooperation, you need to get to know each other better and be connected not only with business. Joint time spent outside the office will allow you to relax and focus on interpersonal relationships, and not just at work.
Go fishing, play bowling or billiards. Such a pastime will help to achieve a better understanding and even smooth out many conflicts. Communicating in an informal setting should be common practice.
