Friendships at work can be difficult. Because you spend a good portion of your waking hours in the workplace, you will naturally form a bond with the people you work with. But some friendships can become tricky.
For example, perhaps your boss is best friends with someone who reports to her and you share your workspace with that person. Your boss tends to visit your area quite often to plan upcoming weekends or chat about last night’s episode of Game of Thrones. That might be a little annoying, but what if the conversations are more work related, such as decision-making advice or task assignments?
What do you do if you’re in a situation where you feel your boss is showing favouritism? Here are some things you can try:
• Talk directly to you manager. First, be careful that you don’t insult your manager’s best friend, but do bring up what is concerning you. Try something like: “Can you help me define my responsibilities, so that I can be clear on what I am supposed to focus on? What should I do when my co-worker tells me what my tasks are after returning from a cup of coffee with you?” This allows the boss to see the problem you are facing in a positive way.
• If you can’t be the most wellliked, be the most well-respected. Be cordial, diligent and confident. Even if you’re not your boss’s best friend, you’ll at least be her most solid employee.
• Always be pleasant and courteous. If you start making snippy comments out of frustration, you’re just giving people reasons not to like you.
And what if you are the one who is best friends with your boss? Becoming too close with your manager has distinct disadvantages that can set you back in your professional life.
The unfortunate truth is that even if you work hard to earn every accolade you receive in your role, your close friendship with your boss can hurt the way your co-workers view the opportunities you receive.
You want to make sure that you put some separation between you and your boss so that your co-workers see your hard work as the reason behind your success – not your friendship.
This isn’t to say that your friendship with your boss can’t be a positive relationship, but you should be aware that if it begins to hold you back or make you feel stifled, then there needs to be a change.
