Mixing Business with Pleasure

What can go wrong? Well… a lot. 

It’s been the demise of countless friendships. The brawl-causer between formerly cordial neighbors. The stimulus for family feuds (and timeless binge-worthy shows like Dynasty, Dallas, Succession, Yellowstone, etc.).

Although it’s common to blur the lines between your personal and professional self, there are inherent risks in mixing business with pleasure. And when it goes poorly, it can go really poorly, with serious consequences that reverberate throughout your entire life.

So today, we’ll show you the dangers of this delicate balancing act and share some tips for how to reduce the risks when mixing business with pleasure.

Real or perceived favoritism.

When you like someone, it inevitably shows, which makes it difficult for those around you to believe that your actions are neutral. And biased decision-making leads to resentment among colleagues, compromising the integrity of the work environment.

Personal relationships with clients, suppliers, or colleagues can cloud judgment and may lead to conflicts of interest. Also, when you lead with your heart, it can harm business outcomes and damage your professional reputation. For example, choosing not to terminate an employee who deserves to be fired because they’re also your friend.

Preventative measure: Be extremely transparent and prioritize merit-based achievements versus those awarded due to personal connections. When in doubt, pull in an impartial third party to help you find a fair resolution.

Broken Hearts Club.

Rejection or criticism in a business context doesn’t just “stay at the office.” Emotional turbulence follows you home because most people cannot completely compartmentalize what they feel at work.

Conflicts or misunderstandings in one area can spill over into the other, creating widespread tension and instability. In addition, it would be irresponsible of us to not mention that a romantic relationship could leave you vulnerable to accusations of sexual harassment.

Preventative measure: The heart wants what it wants, so remove yourself from the professional equation. So, if you’re dating your marketing coordinator, they need to report to someone else.

Legal and financial losses.

Get out your checkbook because mixing business with pleasure can also become expensive. More than most other professions, operating a nanny agency requires an immaculate reputation built on trust.

By crossing the professional-to-personal line, you could be violating company policies—yours or that of a large client’s—or ethical industry standards. This can result in disciplinary actions like having your business license revoked or even legal consequences like a lawsuit.

Preventative measure: Keep organized and thorough documentation that proves you adhere to company policies, industry regulations, and ethical standards to mitigate legal risks and maintain professional integrity.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Lack of separation between business and pleasure can result in burnout, exhaustion, and diminished overall wellbeing. It is difficult to avoid feeling like you are always “on” when work infiltrates your personal space.

Spending excessive time socializing or engaging in personal matters during work hours also causes distraction and procrastination. Not only does your productivity suffer, but it fuels office gossip which produces discomfort and interruption. 

Preventative measure: Maintain balance by dedicating set time for work and leisure. Then, establish rigid boundaries and be ruthless about keeping them. “I know we work together, but let’s avoid talking about work when we are spending time together outside of work.”

It would be unrealistic to never mix business with pleasure. We’re humans, not robots, so personal relationships are going to happen.

We can admit that we mix business and pleasure in Arise, our online community of nanny agency owners. We laugh, we lament, we learn, we talk business, and we most certainly form lifelong friendships. 

However, it is essential that you establish clear boundaries and recognize the dangers of mixing business and pleasure and implement strategies to effectively navigate them. 

This increases our odds of safeguarding relationships we value and helps strike a harmonious balance for enduring success and fulfillment in multiple areas of our lives.

FREE GIFT ALERT! Last week’s copywriter produced email script was for your clients. If you join Arise by the end of May, we’ll share an AMAZING money-maker. As promised, we’ll provide a corporate childcare sales email script that you can plug-and-play and send to companies.

“Working with Megan has been invaluable. She is so knowledgeable and knows what she is doing. She will take your business to the next level. I know she has many clients, but she always makes me feel like I am the most important thing she has going on. I look forward to working with her long-term and know I will be so successful with her by my side. Thank you, Megan!” — Rhiannon Sergienko, Premier Nanny Source