Respect the Line Between Employees and Friends

6. Lending money: I once lent money to a janitor who worked for me -- he was a good guy who was down on his luck. Unfortunately, he then thought I was his personal piggy bank.

7. Driving together: A client of mine gave one of her employees a ride for a month because her car was in an accident. The employee got so used to being picked up that when my client couldn't pick up the employee, she got upset. My client should have suggested that the employee rent a car or get a friend, relative or fellow employee to drive her.

8. Gifts: Never give a personal gift. Its one thing to give a book related to business; it's another to give a personal gift.

9. Drinking: Going to a bar for a drink after a hard day is a very bad idea. People sometimes lose their professional demeanor.

10. Vacationing: I have actually had business associates tell me that they went on a vacation with an employee because they had grown so close. A couple of years went by, and the employee started a competing business and used what he knew about the employer/friend to go into business. Eventually the employee put the employer out of the business.

You can be friendly, and you can share a joke or talk about how the local sports teams are doing, but keep it light and impersonal, or there could be consequences.