In school, I never enjoyed group work. Being at the mercy of another person’s effort was frustrating to me — and still is. That’s probably why I picked a career where most of my day-to-day tasks can be done solo.

Still, it’s impossible for most people to go through life without any professional collaboration. And while it can be fun to work with someone who’s also a friend, it can make collaboration even more complicated. 

Recently, I listened to an episode of Simon Sinek’s podcast “A Bit of Optimism” where he asked restaurateur Will Guidara about advice for maintaining a friendship with someone while working with them. 

The key, they agreed, is communication, something every relationship needs to thrive. “The motivations have to be similar and very clear expectations set early on,” Sinek said. “Because we will make assumptions about the other person’s commitment.”

The same can be said of tackling team projects at work. If you assume someone will finish something by a certain deadline but they aren’t aware of that expectation, resentment can build.

Communication is even more important if you’re friends with your colleague, as you then need to interact on two different planes: personal and professional. 

“You can’t stop being friends,” Guidara told Sinek. “You don’t replace the friendship relationship with a colleague relationship. You now have two relationships.”

I’m not sure group projects will ever be my preferred way to work, but now at least I have some guidance that will make collaborating more pleasant and less likely to ruin a friendship.

CNBC