Should You be Friends With Employees?

Summary

• When I was younger, I often went out and got drunk with my trainers, which was a mistake.
• I shared too much about my business worries, leading to a lack of respect from my employees.
• It's challenging to maintain a professional boundary when you're friends with employees, especially if they're the same age.
• To keep a respectful owner-employee relationship, it's crucial to know where to draw the line.
• Being friends with employees can work, but only if you can sustain their respect for you as their leader.
• Occasional social activities like dinner or drinks are fine, as long as no one acts irresponsibly and it doesn't undermine professional respect.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest setting clear boundaries with your team from the beginning. Remember, you're the leader, and it's okay to be friendly, but being friends can make it hard to stay the boss. Here's what to focus on:

• Keep your business concerns to yourself. Don't share every worry with your employees. It can make them lose confidence in your leadership.
• Don't go out and party hard with your team. It's cool to grab a dinner or drink occasionally, but if it's all the time or gets out of hand, it can mess with their respect for you.
• Act responsibly at all times, especially when you're with your employees outside of work. Your behavior is a model for them, even after hours.

If you're struggling with where the line is, here's a good rule: if you wouldn't want them doing it at work, then you shouldn't do it with them outside of work.

Lastly, treat social activities with your team like any business decision—rarely, with purpose, and always with professionalism in mind. Keep it light and fun, but never forget that you're their boss first. This way, you'll build a team that respects you as their leader and still enjoys the workplace.

Quotes by Alex Hormozi

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Full Transcript

way way back I would go out with my trainers and we'd all just get hammered and it would happen all the time and I definitely did things that I shouldn't have done and said things I shouldn't have said and like was telling them everything that was going on in the business that I was worried about and so like they just didn't respect me as an owner because I just didn't know how to draw that line all the guys were the exact same age as me right and so it's just being able to hold whatever the line is for respect now some people just can't do it and so which case then don't be friends with your employees as long as you can maintain respect then I don't see an issue with grabbing dinner or grabbing cocktails as long as someone's not you know irresponsible or it's like a regular thing that like everyone loses their minds it all just comes down to respect