To keep your business relationship bar high, you want to clearly draw the line between being friends vs. friendly.

Becoming friends with colleagues and clients should never be the driver of your agenda nor any perceived marker of your professional success.

In fact, treating your key stakeholders as friends can be a slippery slope to clouding your judgment and having your actions questioned.

If you feel a stakeholder is a friend, you may choose their friendship over the right thing to do. You may be perceived as playing loosely with or simply misplacing your trust and others’ trust in you.

To change perception, switch your goal of making friends and focus on being friendly.

With each communication, be responsive, effective, and consistent in delivery. Build in self controls, maintain your integrity, and listen effectually.

When you treat everyone respectfully and stay professional, you will create and foster a friendly environment.

Your ultimate measure is the value you give others, not the number of friends you have made. Tune into After It Rains, video #46, and see how to maintain this perspective at all times.

Let it rain.