Description:
6 Answers
Establish clear communication channels for work vs. personal. During work hours, interact with them as you would any colleague. Avoid using work channels for personal chat, and vice-versa. It helps to mentally switch 'hats'.
Have an explicit conversation with your friend/founder about expectations, especially regarding feedback, disagreements, and how you'll handle situations where work and personal feelings might clash. Acknowledge it upfront.
Treat all colleagues equally. Avoid any appearance of favoritism due to your personal connections. Be mindful of how your interactions might be perceived by other team members who aren't part of your inner circle.
Don't bring work grievances into personal time, and try not to let personal disagreements spill into work. It's tough, but try to compartmentalize. If you need to discuss a work issue, do it in a work context.
Be extra professional in your work conduct to avoid any suggestion that you're getting by on your connections. Meet deadlines, be prepared, contribute thoughtfully. Your work ethic should speak for itself.
If your friend is your manager, define how performance feedback will be given. It might be helpful to have a more structured process than you would with a non-friend manager to ensure fairness and clarity.
Join the conversation and help others by sharing your insights.
Log in to your account or create a new one β it only takes a minute and gives you the ability to post answers, vote, and build your expert profile.