Keep your distance
When leaders begin interacting on a regular basis, you need to be careful to maintain a healthy working relationship that does not become clouded by your personal relationship. You’re trying to build strong work bonds that will enable your company to grow, but you don’t want to become so close that your judgment becomes compromised due to personal agendas.
“You can’t become best buddies with department heads,” Smith says. “Familiarity breeds contempt. Even though we respect and love working with these people, you have to level the playing field so it’s fair. A lot of people don’t agree with that.”
Smith says it’s important to maintain a bit of distance between you and your direct reports or your employees, so that no one feels they are being slighted.
“When leaders are extremely friendly with top employees, people feel like they are on the outside,” Smith says. “Objectivity is totally shot, and you could find yourself in a position of having to let a manager go. I’m not saying you should be a tyrant and everyone shouldn’t be friendly, but at some point, you have to realize it’s a business and not a country club. It eliminates a lot of problems.”
How to reach: Shoes For Crews LLC, (800) 856-8702 or www.shoesforcrews.com
