This morning I had the great joy of emailing an old friend and letting her know I had a huge project for her.
Why was this such a great joy? One reason was being able to tell her in no uncertain terms and in language that I wouldn’t use with another vendor – the ability to be myself, completely unfiltered. With this particular friend, I think it also lends itself to more clarity in communication. I say something, and she immediately gets it. If she doesn’t, she knows exactly what questions to ask. It’s a great working relationship, as well as a personal one.
This is an upside you generally get only with three specific situations.
- The later stages of your career, where you’re in a position to make your own decisions about with whom you will work.
- Owning your own business, where you have to make those decisions.
- You made a good friend at work, and you feel comfortable enough to open the kimono.
I’ve been lucky enough to have actually managed to do all three of these things, though the first only recently. And while I enjoy my work, the ability to work with these people makes it all that much sweeter.
With that is a cautionary tale. Make sure that the people you decide to trust are worthy of that trust, particularly if you make friends easily. But when you find those people and it’s real, give them your all. They’re worth it, and both your work life and personal life will improve dramatically.