Be careful when trying to be your employees friend!!
I have found that bosses who have not been trained to work in management sometimes don't know how to draw the line in the role as a manager/supervisor. It is never a good idea to become too relaxed with your employees. I'm not saying that as a manager/supervisor that you should be stand offish. You definitely have to be approachable but employees should never feel as if they can say or do anything around you. Becoming too friendly with employees can threaten the respect level they have for you as a boss. I've seen situations where a boss had to reprimand a friend and it didn't turn out so well. The employee took offense to her boss/friend for writing her up when it was well due. I've seen situations where an employee was told to do something by his boss/friend and they didn't do it because that level of respect was gone. Unless you have mature professional minded people, boss/employee friendships tend to never work. Any thoughts?
I guess I have been very lucky. My last two directors have been close friends away from work, but at the work place I knew what my job was and did it. They were very good at drawing the line, at employee at work and not a friend. I knew that if I did something wrong at work I would be in their office just like anyone else.
I agree, I had a boss who became friends with two co-workers. One of the co-workers took advantage of the situation, and probably did some things that might not have been acceptable if someone else had done the same thing. It is nice to be friends, but when someone has to be reprimanded, it can cause hurt feelings, unless both parties are very mature about it.
before becoming an insturctor i managed a saloni was very leanate with my stylist i had one or two i could rely on and i loss the respect of all i did learn from it and i do have to keep my self in check it's so easy to be too nice
I think sometimes this could be a hit or miss. I have worked in various environments and the recent situation is that the Manager wanted to befriend me. I was reluctant to befriend even co-workers, due to other situations I have been in where either i was let go or had to give up a position i really loved. Well unfortunately the Manager expected me to be at her beacon call and it really ruined me. I stay further away from ever becoming a friend with Management or Co-Workers. I do my job and go home... and try not to worry about the stuff that happens at work. It is not how i would like to work, but i think its the only way to keep my job i love. there is NO room in this economy for people to lose there jobs over friendship.
I agree that it is not always a good thing, but feel there are certain situations, like you mentioned, where it is possible for 'mature professional minded people'. I personally am extremely close to my boss, and I feel at times it is a great advantage for me at work. I already have an idea of stresses outside the work place, and can ask her, in all honesty, my weaknesses and strengths, and get her honest feedback. I know this is not the same for all cases. It really just depends how people seperate their work from social, and the thickness of their skin. :)
