Being a good boss and a friend at the same time is very difficult. Every manager should therefore be aware of how thin the line between a too nice and a friendly approach to subordinates is. Once the boss loses objectivity, subordinates begin to lose respect. How do you know that you are not too nice when trying to be friendly and you should do something about it? Cbsnews.com summed up the warning signals.
1. You regularly miss deadlines
If you are the last to learn that a particular task may not be fulfilled in time, you should be tougher. The same goes for the case when your people are moving or cancelling meetings with you without serious reasons.
2. You a target of your subordinates' jokes
The boss should not be a regular object of ridicule of his people. This is not an occasional joke, but the long-term loss of respect.
3. Subordinates ignore you
When you criticize someone, he should respond to the criticism. If your people do not respond to your criticism and leave it unattended, the do not respect you. You may also catch yourself not willing to provide feedback because you consider it pointless.
4. You share too much information
If you spend half a day explaining your decisions, you are wasting your time. Once you feel the need to explain your people each successive step in your decisions, you are losing your authority as well.
5. You always share success
Being a team player is important, equally important is, however, to be able to adopt your own credit. Your people need to know that you are the one who leads them to success.
6. Subordinates treat you like a friend
Being friendly to someone is not the same as being someone's friend. Be especially careful to maintain professionalism in cases such as unexpected visits to your office, extending lunch breaks, early departures, expressing adverse views on managerial issues, gossiping in the workplace and other forms of distractions from work.
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