BUSINESS CORNER
P R O D U C T W AT C H
TECH NEWS
BE A SBOSSI ONOTWA BUDDY
A S O C I AT
N NE S
IN LIFE, YOU HAVE BEST FRIENDS, CLOSE FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES, DRINKING BUDDIES AND WORK
FRIENDS. THE LATTER IS USUALLY RELEGATED TO PEERS WHOM YOU WORK WITH, NOT BEING “BEST
BUDS” WITH YOUR BOSS, OR IF YOU’RE A BOSS, BEING BUDDIES WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES.
E
I veryone wants to be well-liked. It’s human nature. As a boss,
N THE NEWS
while that sentiment may still ring true, being well-liked
isn’t always the easiest thing to achieve. Overcompensating
by shifting the focus to being a buddy rather than a strong leader
who is respected can have its disadvantages.
All Relationships Are Not Created Equal
Friendship has a very different color palette than that of the bossemployee relationship. Friends are equals. Bosses are at a higher
pay S P O T Lemployees and are responsible for that employee’s
grade than I G H T
growth and productivity. When employees and bosses are
friends, it may be hard to distinguish the genuine nature behind
someone’s motives in the work environment. Friends are friends
because they connect on a personal and social level, not because
they have ulterior motives or want to get ahead.
Playing Favorites
When a boss is buddies with his employees, favoritism can result.
That can take promoted employees from friend to the least liked
person in the office. As with friends, a boss’ relationship with his
or her employees is going to be different with everybody. In the
work environment, the element of choice is somewhat eliminated
in terms of who you’re surrounded by. In life, you choose your
friends. And favoritism can go the other way, backfiring when
it proves hard to leave business, especially bad business, at the
door when you’re off the clock and it’s time to exist as friends,
no longer as boss-employee.
Be Social…But Not Too Social
Social work functions are inevitable. As a boss, you’ll either want
to, or be required to, make an appearance. Along similar lines of
not playing favorites with employees while in the office, a boss
shouldn’t play favorites at social gatherings outside the office,
either. At work events like Happy Hour, luncheons and other
industry functions, a boss should be sure to mingle and socialize
with all employees equally.
Lead the Charge
As a boss, it is possible to be a generous, caring person while still
keeping the focus on work. Employees look to their bosses for
guidance, expertise and motivation, much like players look to
their coach or patients look to their therapist or doctor. Players
and patients don’t even strive for deep meaningful friendships in
those scenarios, they want a leader.
8 N O RTH AMERICAN S W EEPER NOVE M BE R 2013
As A S Sthe C I AT I Oremain on work E Rnot sustaining
a boss, O focus should N I N S I D and
and maintaining personal relationships within the workplace.
Work is work and play is play, and time spent at work needs
to remain focused on work. In terms of the interpersonal,
interoffice relationships formed, both boss and employee need
to interact and coexist as human beings, but they must work
together to complete a common goal, which is why both were
hired in the first place. There should be mutual respect, courtesy
and friendliness.
INDEX
The Inside Track
Bosses are privy to more inside information than their employees.
Friendship is supposed to be about honesty, and that isn’t always
possible when a boss is supposed to withhold or put off sharing
information with their employees.
Evaluations, managing progress, motivating change, and
facilitating that change are all things expected of a boss. They are
not necessarily things expected of your friends. Hiring and salary
information should never be shared from a boss to an employee
not directly affected by the information being shared.
For a boss, firing or letting employees go is never easy. When it’s
a friend, it’s especially hard. Being a boss means doing what needs
to be done to make the business grow. Sometimes that means
doing things that aren’t easy like reprimanding employees when
they’ve done something wrong, or making tough decisions like
pay-cuts. When friendship is in the mix, it’s hard not to feel like
it’s personal.
Working off of gut instincts and chemistry aren’t the best
practices to apply in boss-employee relationships. A boss should
strive to be a well-respected leader and the type of boss employees
respect; someone they feel inspired by and proud to work for. It’s
inevitable that a boss will like some employees more than others.
However, it is vital that he or she strike the right balance with
clearly defined relationships that are based upon performance,
respect and the commitment to work together toward reaching
a common work goal. The result will be a great working work
relationship.
Story by Megan McClure
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