Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

People often enter business relationships without first answering one question: If I fire you, will that affect our personal relationship?

Business relationships are about business. They involve contracts and agreements:

You will do this

and

I will do that.

This is pretty simple when you consider these terms. This is pretty complicated when you have an 0ther-than-business relationship before entering a business relationship.

Here are a few other-than-business relationships:

• We are next door neighbors
• Our kids play soccer, are in the marching band, and so on together
• We attend the same church
• We are family
• You are entering a business relationship with one of my children or other relatives

Questions to ask before entering a business relationship:

• Will we still chat at the mail box if you fire me?
• Will I move my kid to a different soccer team if you fire me?
• Will I still attend the same church as you if you fire me?
• Will I still talk to you at family events if you fire me?
• Will I still be friends or whatever if you fire my child?

Don’t enter a business relationship with a person if:

• These questions sound icky
• You cannot imagine that your friend would fire you
• You cannot separate business and other relationships