If your dream is to work with your bestie, here’s what you need to know

Welcome to Besties Week! We’re kicking off the release of our first HelloGiggles book, A Tale of Two Besties, with an epic celebration of friendship and stories about friendship. Read an excerpt of the book, buy a copy, catch us on our cross-country book tour, and share your photos from our events by tagging us @hellogiggles #ATaleofTwoBesties.

In the meantime, join the party right here. All week long, our contributors will be sharing stories, essays and odes to their very own partners-in-crime. Read, laugh, cry (because you’re laughing) and share with your bestie!

If you, like me, are a creative type who tends to surround yourself with like-minded people, odds are at some point you might find yourself in the same situation: Working with your best friend. My bestie has a creative drive that I so admire, and inspires me. So it makes sense that we decided to work on a big project together. We were thrilled for the potential greatness we could achieve when we joined forces.

But transferring your bestie-dom to the workplace, whether its in the office or the theater or the studio, can be tricky business. That easy relationship you have might be put under strain when obstacles arise. You value your relationship highly, but a working relationship is different than one when you’re hanging out and eating pizza. But I’m here to tell you that you can totally navigate it and handle issues cordially. Here are some tips for working with your BFF.

Make the goals clear from the start

You both want something out of this collaboration, but you might be in it for different reasons. Does one of you see this as a fun side thing while the other is heavily invested? It’s good to find these things out from the start so that you don’t end up disappointing each other. Also, what’s the time frame that you see this getting done in and how much time are you willing to dedicate to it? Openly communicating these goals from the start sets you up for success, and minimizes the chance that you’ll run into problems caused by conflicting expectations.

Be open to their ideas

Creating something together is going to take some team work and cooperation. They might have a different point of view or approach to an idea. Rather than shut it down, try to compromise as much as you can. Often times, two different points of view can bring about a very beautiful thing.

Don’t become their boss

Resist the urge to tell your friend what he/she needs to be doing. People can become resentful if they feel like you don’t trust their ability to complete a task. You might be used to having to control group projects in school or at work, but with your bestie/coworker, it’s best to let it go and believe in the original goals we set forth together. Your bestie is just as much invested in this as you are, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have done it in the first place.

Be understanding

Life still happens, especially if you’re collaborating with your BFF on a side project. Jobs can get in the way, a rough week can just make you want to relax on the weekend, and well, we all get busy. Rather than accuse your partner of not being as devoted to the project as you are, have a calm conversation with them and regroup. Come into it with a solution-oriented mindset rather than attacking them. If you’re feeling pretty heated, allow yourself some time to cool off and reset. This project shouldn’t be worth ruining your relationship over.

Most importantly, remember you’re lucky to have each other!

This is a project you were originally pumped about, remember?! AND you are getting to do it all with your best friend, meaning you’re spending more time with the people you love! The two of you are ultimately getting to do stuff you love with a person you love. What’s better than that?

Taylor Ashley Krauss is a writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. A few of her favorite things are sweet potato fries, dance battles, and singing loudly in the car to Martina McBride.  Follow her on Twitter @TaylorAshKrauss or on Instagram @taylorakrauss.