I've read a few articles around this recently, actually all with very different recommendations on how to manage the overlap of relationships in our business & personal lives.
Can you be friends with your boss?
From the far reaching "don't be stupid - never mix business with pleasure" to this one which I think more closely & realistically represents the way we all interact with each other in the modern work place today.
Before we start, it might be pertinent to mention that I'm married to my boss.
So maybe I'm biased?
Or maybe it's just proof that it definitely can work.
It's certainly a skill that is required in today's social office.
In another, similar, scenario, one of our managers here has recently hired someone who is already a personal friend. Could you hire a friend? Could you work for one?
I've made many friends within my own teams from the past. Some, I’m still very much in the friendzone with but there are a few relationships that ended when the work magic died...
Gone are the days of 9-5s.
With advancements in communication technology that make our working lives easier, work spills into home & vice versa, more than it ever has done before. We spend more time with our colleagues than before.
Trends towards Employer Value Propositions and Culture Creation/Definition often mean that, whether we like it or not (this is another issue for some altogether), we’re spending so much time socialising, team building & “experience time” with work colleagues, that it can become hard to differentiate where work and personal start and finish.
On top of that, particularly in PIE where we pride ourselves on being social recruiters, personal social media channels & more “real life” characters are on display for professional viewing & interaction.
No more “work persona” as such.
So, it’s more to the point – should you be friends with the boss?
There’s no answer other than some of the good advice in the article below, keep the communication open, particularly with yourself – “can you separate what’s work & what’s personal?”
If you can’t…perhaps leave the Facebook friendships just for your real friends.
The key to success really stems from one important skill: Can you truly separate what’s business from what’s personal? If you think you can, and you’re aware of the risks—go for it. But if you tend to overshare with your pals, or if you still feel your eyes well up when being corrected on your spreadsheet formatting , it’s probably best to keep it professional for now.
Read the original article here