Supervisor and Employee Relationships

I found this video both interesting and difficult. Interesting because it's a common situation that supervisors  experience with employees who they later befriend, but without playing favorites, and difficult because we have not heard both sides of the story at hand, and it is typically a sensitive situation. In this particular case, the supervisor was supervising before her and the employee built a friendship.

The bright side of it is that the supervisor posted the video to ask the opinions of others regarding the situation, rather than simply blaming the employee. That shows that she is actually trying to find a solution should it happen to her again.

My opinion - it's possible that the supervisor let her guard down and allowed respect to diminish as a result. It's also possible that the employee felt too at ease and protected by the supervisor and when it came time to assign a task, the employee felt that the person next to her should have been asked to do it because the employee was better friends with the supervisor.

Being a supervisor and having friends on staff is a fine balancing act indeed. Being friends can dissolve the 'us and them' workplace attitude, but possibly at the expense of true leadership and, inevitably, animosity when an employee feels like a workplace friendship is simply a manipulation tactic, geared toward higher profits and nothing more. 

To be a true friend and respected leader, supervisors must not let their guard down and follow a set of professional guidelines. However, to be a prudent and respectful employee can be an advantage when the employee is looking to advance their career or when they require a good reference after deciding to relocate. A great replacement for the 'us and them' attitude would surely be 'symbiosis'.

Heinrich Anton de Bary, who first used the term, had apparently defined symbiosis as: "the living together of unlike organisms". Companies need a workforce and a workforce needs a company. They have different attitudes and they won't always agree 100%, but it is clear that both sides need to work together if the company is to thrive.

Suggestions for supervisors who befriend staff:

a) be firm and fair with discipline and never let your guard down (and follow the rest of the guidelines)

b) you can hang out with staff after work, but never lose control in front of them (then, minimize partying and leave early without slurred speech - tell them beforehand that you'll have to cut out early). You can choose to go all night, but never lose control - great leaders show restraint.

c) reinforce the notion to friends on staff  that everybody helps each other as much as they can when one party decides to move ahead in their career

d) explain to a troubled employee (the jealous ones, especially) that animosity is a major reason why good teams fall apart and they have to work with you to avoid it at all costs

e) keep your leadership skills sharp - there is a reason why you are a supervisor and hopefully it is because you know the work inside and out and have proven your leadership abilities, then when a critical situation arises, you are ready for it and by demonstration of your abilities alone, you will maintain (or revive) the respect you deserve.

A lot can be learned from the story The Bounty. It is a well-written drama that arouses fear and pity and thus achieves a catharsis of such emotions (thank you, Aristotle!). My point is this: respect should not come out of fear and great leaders should be able to demonstrate their leadership through their abilities in a very controlled manner. It's a fine balancing act, indeed.