It's the time of the year to be thankful for friends and I AM. While the Arabian proverb above is cute, forceful and to the point, it is at best simplistic, for friends are a lot more complicated than this quote suggests. The truth is:

"I HAVE NO TROUBLE WITH MY ENEMIES. I CAN TAKE CARE OF MY ENEMIES ALL RIGHT. BUT MY DAMN FRIENDS - THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KEEP ME WALKING THE FLOOR ALL NIGHT."

That's right, friends, "friends" are simply a lot more complicated than enemies. As the late politician Ann Richards lamented,

"I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IN POLITICS, YOUR ENEMIES CAN'T HURT YOU, BUT YOUR FRIENDS WILL KILL YOU."

Of course it's not purposeful, but the most honest and intense of emotions surface among friends. As the late, indomitable George Carlin said:

"ONE GOOD REASON TO ONLY MAINTAIN A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS IS THAT THREE OUT OF FOUR MURDERS ARE COMMITTED BY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE VICTIM."

So, let's nurture our true friends by giving them the support they deserve, for our own sake as well as theirs:

"FRIENDS AREN'T JUMPER CABLES . YOU DON'T THROW THEM INTO THE TRUNK AND PULL THEM OUT FOR EMERGENCIES."
- Charlie Krueger

Unfortunately we often try to. Friendship is a learned art, so:

"GO OFTEN TO THE HOUSE OF THY FRIEND, FOR WEEDS CHOKE THE UNUSED PATH."

If you are looking to turn a quick buck, don't call a friend, because:

"FRIENDSHIP IS ALWAYS A SWEET RESPONSIBILITY, NEVER AN OPPORTUNITY."
- Kahlil Gibran

So, if this is a management newsletter and friendship is not an opportunity (like making money), what does it have to do with business? For starters, many of us spend more time at work than we do at home, so we might as well seek out people we like and add quality to our life. Since business and professional life is fraught with problems, worry and stress:

"THE BEST TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS IS BEFORE YOU NEED THEM."
- Ethel Barrymore

And we will need them. And they will need us. So, when you find yourself in a mess, a tangled web, or are simply afraid, don't throw in the towel. Instead, realize that:

"FRIENDS ARE GOD'S LIFE PRESERVERS. "

And if you don't know how to separate friends and business responsibilities, you need to acquire the skill. It is a learnable art and once you determine that someone is in fact your friend, then don't be afraid to let them be it. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

"I DO NOT WISH TO TREAT FRIENDSHIPS DAINTILY, BUT WITH THE ROUGHEST COURAGE. WHEN THEY ARE REAL, THEY ARE NOT GLASS THREADS OR FROST-WORK, BUT THE SOLIDEST THING WE KNOW."

Keep in mind:

"IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GROW AN OLD FRIEND."

So hold on for dear life (because it is) when the going gets tough.

James Russell Lowell said:

"A FRIENDSHIP COUNTING NEARLY FORTY YEARS IS THE FINEST KIND OF SHADE-TREE I KNOW."

While I wish I wasn't old enough to actually have more than one of these, it is one of my proudest accomplishments that I do. I bet the same is, or will be, for you. Some of the clues that someone is, in fact a friend rather than an acquaintance are:

"A FRIEND IS A PERSON WHO KNOWS YOUR SENSITIVE SPOTS BUT WILL NEVER POKE YOU THERE."

"A FRIEND IS ONE WHO LISTENS ATTENTIVELY WHILE YOU SAY NOTHING."

"A FRIEND IS THE ONE WHO IS ALREADY THERE DOING IT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS SAYING, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?"

"FRIENDS ARE THOSE RARE PEOPLE WHO ASK HOW WE ARE AND THEN WAIT TO HEAR THE ANSWER."
- Ed Cunningham

The New Year is right around the corner and so is the future of your organization. Call Twyman today at 615-370-3587 to discuss your plans for 2010. Free initial phone consultation!