The Thick Line Between Buddy And Boss
: One of my key employees I hired him to do. He needed a
is giving me trouble. He job, I needed an employee, so I
has started showing up late thought I would give him a shot.
for work and has developed a bad It turned out to be a match made
attitude in general. The rest of in business hell. He took
my employees are complaining advantage of our friendship by
since they are having to take up showing up late for work,
his slack. I've tried talking to spending time goofing off instead
him, but he doesn't seem to of working, and making a joke out
listen. To make matters worse, he of my complaints about his
has become one of my best friends behavior. Because of our
since I hired him five years ago, friendship I defended his actions
so firing him is out of the to my other employees, but after
question. What can I do? a few weeks I knew I had to show
him the door. We're still
-- Allen B. friends, but certainly not like
we were before.
A: One reason I am so qualified
to dispense sage business advice The blunder I made was hiring a
every week, Allen, is that I have friend in the first place. I let
made just about every business emotion, i.e. the desire to help
blunder you can imagine. I am my friend gain employment, get in
like the Evel Knievel of the the way of my business sense.
small business world, if Evel That's what you are doing now,
Knievel wrote a weekly column on Allen, and I hate to be the
motorcycle safety. bearer of bad news, but you are
going to have to deal with this
One of the more unpleasant things situation soon or your entire
I've had to do is fire a good operation may be affected by the
friend who was not doing the job actions of this one person.
you'd rather eat rocks than fire
The blunder you have made is that him, but you have to consider how
you have befriended an employee, his behavior is impacting your
which is something you should business over all. What effect is
never do. I'm not saying you he having on employee morale, on
can't be friendly with your work schedules, on customer
employees, but you have attached relations, on time spent fixing
a considerable amount of his mistakes, and most
emotional baggage to the importantly, the bottom line?
employer/employee relationship
and the result is the situation You have two options: get him
you are faced with today. back on track or get him off the
payroll, period. That may sound
Friends expect preferential cold and politically incorrect,
treatment simply because they are but those are your only choices.
your friends. The workplace, Either way, you must be his
however, must be a level playing employer first and friend second.
field for all your employees, He may have personal reasons for
friends or not. While employees his performance, but as his
deserve your respect (if it is employer you are legally limited
earned), giving one employee as to how much prying you can do
preferential treatment over into his home life. As his
another is never a good idea. friend, however, I expect that
This is a problem experienced by you already have a good idea what
many business owners and managers the problem is. If you can help
who allow themselves to become him return to being a productive
too close to their employees. member of the team, then do so.
If not, wish him well, let him
I understand that he has become go, and move on.
your friend over the years and
Here are a few suggestions to impact on your business as
help you establish and enforce non-related employees often
the boundaries of the expect the boss' son, daughter,
employer/employee relationship. or best buddy to work less, make
more money, and be treated better
Define the relationship. Keep than everyone else. Whether
your seat, Dr. Phil, this won't that's true or not, nepotism and
take long. The employer/employee cronyism can create an underlying
relationship should be tension among the ranks.
well-defined from the outset and
the parameters understood by all Establish and adhere to company
parties. Some call it "defining policies. It's a good idea to
the pecking order" or have published policies
"establishing the food chain." concerning every aspect of your
Whatever colorful term you use it business, including employee
all boils down to this: You can behavior and performance
be their boss or you can be their expectations. By it's very nature
buddy. You can not be both. the employer/employee
relationship is prone to
Don't hire friends or relatives. favoritism. Managers can't help
This rule is certainly bendable but favor those employees who
if you are the owner of the work harder, longer, and faster,
business and you hire your but when it comes to adhering to
children to work for you. Chances company policies, there should be
are your offspring already accept no preferential treatment of
you as the ultimate authority favored employees. Every employee
figure and managing them in a should receive a copy of your
business environment is second published company policies and
nature. However, even this sign a form stating that they
situation could have a negative have read, understand, and agree
with the same. business. This is what the movie
bad guys say to one another right
The Bottom Line: treat everyone before the shooting starts. "Hey,
the same. It does not matter if Paulie, it's not personal. It's
the employee is a vice president just business." BLAM! BLAM! This
or a janitor; everyone in your is the dating equivalent of
company should be treated the saying, "It's not you, it's me."
same when it comes to adhering to These kinds of statements are not
published company policies and going to make anyone feel better
performance expectations. when they are getting dumped or
fired. Just ask any former
While it is true that a vice employee or old girlfriend you've
president may be of more value to used this line on.
the company than a janitor, it is
also true that a vice president If you have to fire an employee -
who is running amok can do far even a friend - do it by the book
more damage to your company than in a professional manner.
a janitor who lets a toilet back
up every once in awhile (there's It won't be easy, but you have to
an analogy there that I will let remove the emotion and do what's
you figure out on your own). best for your business.
It's not personal, it's just Here's to your success.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com
Tim Knox
Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
www.prosperityandprofit.com
www.dropshipwholesale.net
www.smallbusinessqa.com
www.timknox.com
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