How to manage former friends or peers

Managing Made Simple

Whether we have to manage someone we used to be colleagues with, or are hiring a friend into our business as an entrepreneur, hiring a former friend (or family member) changes the relationship. And if we're not careful, it can change it in a not-so-good way. 

In this episode we talk about the most important thing you can do when managing a former friend: having a conversation UP FRONT, when the tensions are low, recognizing that the relationship will be different now, how to give feedback, and how to have hard conversations. Do this and you can put an end to the saying "don't mix friends with money" ;)

--

Looking for support for your team? Reach out to hello@liagarvin.com to learn more about one of my four core focuses for teams:
Manager Development - Micro to Macro Manager Development Program
Employee Engagement - Focus Groups & Action Planning Workshops
Retaining Women - Accelerate Group Coaching Program for Women
For Entrepreneurs & Founders - Billion Dollar Ops Playbook for Million Dollar Businesses

--

Connect with me!
Instagram: instagram.com/lia.garvin/
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/liagarvin
Web: liagarvin.com
Music by Y8S: isaacy8s.com 

--

Is your team feeling a little stuck and you don't know where to start? Take my quiz and I will send you a personalized set of recommendations to try with your team: liagarvin.com/managerquiz

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: hello@liagarvin.com

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

More description

Whether we have to manage someone we used to be colleagues with, or are hiring a friend into our business as an entrepreneur, hiring a former friend (or family member) changes the relationship. And if we're not careful, it can change it in a not-so-good way. 

In this episode we talk about the most important thing you can do when managing a former friend: having a conversation UP FRONT, when the tensions are low, recognizing that the relationship will be different now, how to give feedback, and how to have hard conversations. Do this and you can put an end to the saying "don't mix friends with money" ;)

--

Looking for support for your team? Reach out to hello@liagarvin.com to learn more about one of my four core focuses for teams:
Manager Development - Micro to Macro Manager Development Program
Employee Engagement - Focus Groups & Action Planning Workshops
Retaining Women - Accelerate Group Coaching Program for Women
For Entrepreneurs & Founders - Billion Dollar Ops Playbook for Million Dollar Businesses

--

Connect with me!
Instagram: instagram.com/lia.garvin/
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/liagarvin
Web: liagarvin.com
Music by Y8S: isaacy8s.com 

--

Is your team feeling a little stuck and you don't know where to start? Take my quiz and I will send you a personalized set of recommendations to try with your team: liagarvin.com/managerquiz

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: hello@liagarvin.com

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

2023-02-28 7 min Transcript
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