It is said that starved of love, the human soul dies. Lovers, friends, family, they are all part and parcel of the circle which grows the soul on its evolution through life. Our marketing director, Knowler is over in Sweden to visit me, a visit which is part business part pleasure. As one of my best friends, it is a blessing and an honour to work with her, and yet relegating our time together as business gets in the way of the very important work of gossiping about relationships and sex.
When you go to work, it is often the case that the people may become friends, but usually this happens after you've left as until then, a conflict of interest - the mix between personal and professional - proves too difficult to handle.
Because I do not believe in the inherent compartmentalisation of different activities, I have sought to create an environment where you can fuse friendship and work life. Whereas compartmentalisation defines the structure in advance and is imposed hierarchically, the way that I drive the business is through relationship building. It is important therefore in Investment Impact, that your colleagues and clients can become also, your friends. But this technique requires far more discipline and far more self awareness than following a externally enforced prescribed pattern. I actively have to knuckle down and work even with friends than simply 'having a good time' with them.
Equally difficult is working around my children. No longer, can I say 'Sorry I'm at work now' and close the door. They always take priority (at least now as they are so young) and I must always make sure they are taken care of even if I am on the phone to an important client (case in point, this blog has been interrupted three times and has taken 2 hours vs the normal 20 mins). There are no prescribed rules for women who want to work as I do; tomes advise 'shutting the door' or segregating work from pleasure; and as we are so accustomed to doing so, it is difficult to challenge this. Yet even on maternity leave I continue to administrate the business, complete a few contracts and write a blog. And I am one of many parents who find that life does not stop...when work starts.