Personal relationships between superiors and subordinates can hide many pitfalls. Is it possible to maintain one hundred percent professionalism? Can your boss also be your friend? Is it worth the effort to build a friendship? There are no universal answers to these questions. It always depends on the situation. Simply, friendship with a superior involves advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, the Harvard Business Review website tried to outline several options on how to behave. Try to answer the following questions.
1. Were you friends before?
The situation when your boss gradually becomes your friend is generally better than when your friend becomes your boss. In the latter case, you may have to work harder to maintain your relationship and at the same time learn to distinguish your professional roles.
2. Can you discuss the boundaries of your relationship?
When your friend becomes your boss or if your boss your friend, you should talk about where the friendship ends and the working relationship begins as soon as possible. Try to find the simplest possible solution.
3. Did you become friends naturally?
If you chose to befriend your boss in order to get certain advantages, it will usually backfire. The people around you will quickly notice and, usually even your boss will see it. However, if you truly have common interests and understand each other, there is no reason not to be friends.
4. May your colleagues consider your relationship with the boss as favoritism?
Your colleagues will soon begin to notice if you boss treats you differently. You can minimize this by talking with your colleagues as well as your boss-friend. For example, you should not worry about say: "I really appreciate you are trying to give me less-demanding tasks, but I am afraid my colleagues could perceive it as favoritism." If, on the other hand, if you feel your boss is giving you more demanding tasks because of the fear of favoritism, let him know.
5. What generation do you belong to?
The older generation of employees tend to maintain a greater distance from their superiors. Conversely, the younger generation is not afraid of close relationships with others regardless of their age and status. They do not perceive older and more experienced people as authority figures or sources of information. They think they can find anything on the Internet. They see the older generation as guides and coaches.
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