The Best Bosses Know This to be True: Your Employees Aren’t Your Friends

“Wow, tres harsh,” you say. But you will be a better communicator with your employees in every exchange when you wrap your arms around the concept that your employees are not your friends. Nor should they be.

You say you like your employees. I say it’s fine to have a professional affection for your employees. Just don’t think that equates to friendship.

You say you count on your employees. I say it’s great to trust your employees. You are lucky. But, you do not have to be a friend to them to trust them.

You say you have surrounded yourself with people better than you. I say you are a strong leader. However, just because your employees are better (or worse) than you does not mean they are your friends.

You say you enjoy working, strategizing and creating with your employees. I say you are blessed with a very unique group of people working for you. That does not make any of them your true BF or Bud.

You say your employees would do anything for you. I say you just haven’t asked them to make the lease payment on the copier yet. You say you would do anything for your employees. I say they haven’t asked you to trade their Ford Focus for your BMW yet.

Friends never base their relationship on the exchange of money. Money is the sole basis of your relationship with your employees. You give them money because they do the work you require. They do the work you require because you pay them money. That’s it. This exchange of money disqualifies friendship.

If someone offers your employee enough money, they will leave you. A friend won’t. If your employee isn’t earning the money you pay them, eventually you will fire them. Since you don’t pay your friends, you’ll never fire them for not doing enough of the work you require.

All of your “boss communications” become more powerful and efficient once you accept the fact that you can be courteous, respectful, professionally nurturing and even friendly without ever being a friend to the employee.

The boss who realizes that mutual economic advancement is the driving force to the relationship is the boss who connects best with employees and earns the most admiration in the process and nothing else.

If you want a BF, look outside the office. You’ll have more success and make more money.