What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

[Hassan Darkside]

I'm particularly curious about this. I've been working at my job for exactly 4 months today. I'm a supervisor so I have right now 16 people in my department who report to me.

Where I work there are definitely hourly associates who I've known from my past life, some I went to school with, played ball with, etc. There's also people in my own department who report to me that are around the same age. My boss is only 4 years or so older than me.

I'm curious as to do any of you guys have a relationship that extends beyond the workplace with your bosses or if you're a boss, people who report to you? Is it "unprofessional?" Obviously being in an intimate relationship with your boss would not be a good look.

This is my first real world job and definitely first time I've been in a management position, so I'd like to be perceived as a good boss.

[C the Lyte]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

I had to chuckle @ "past life"!!!!!

I have just become a supervisor also. I'm trying to find the fine line b/t ******* and push over. But I can't be a friend per se with them.

Ppl I supervise now I used to hang out with, and I'm younger than all of them. Now that I am where I am, I wouldn't hang out with them. I'm a firm believer in never mixing business with personal. Hanging out with them now would make things akward inside and outside of the workplace. So, IMO, it's not worth it.

These guys work for me now. I can't risk personal friends with company goals. And it sucks, but my family comes first, and providing for my family. If it's me or one of them, I'm looking out for me. But that's the worst part about supervising.

[23]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

Not a complaint..just wanted to say that

..but im not really happy with my current one. I've been under her a few months after being put here from under someone else out of the blue... she had an issue with my time sheet but instead of talking to me, she sent me a calendar invite for a work topic, but when I got to her office for the meeting she had HR sitting in the room.

Not only is that wrong, but I ended up getting wrote up, had to adjust my schedule to come here earlier and was denied a flex schedule even though she does it. After a clean record of 13 years of service here... this happens after just a few months under someone who was just made a manager and It has made things really awkward so outside of work stuff, I dont ask personal questions, don't ask about vacation or the weekend...its all work and nothing else for me.

I cant trust anybody that would throw me under the bus to cover themselves in that manner.

[Qb]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

My boss -- let's call him "1000 Years" -- is a real jerk. I can't tell you how many times I tried to quit my job, but he just refuses to let me go. He says if I do, he'll make me disappear permanently... whatever that means.

[eF 5ive]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

Doing therapy i don't really report to anyone. Once in a while I have to talk to the DOR, or DOT, but it's pretty laid back. We're all professionals and the team i'm with now does a great job of communicating and providing feedback to one another and I don't get the feeling that one person feels as if they know everything. We can all vibe off one another and make the work place fun.

I don't really chit chat with the other therapists. As a guy in the medical field i'm pretty much on my own and don't ever want to get into an awkward situation with any of my co workers.

When I was in the Army as an E-5 I would never talk to my soldiers. I don't like the idea of being friends with people who work for, or under you. I think it's natural for people to get complacent once a friendship is sparked and almost think of it as a game to take advantage of you.

I'd say a good boss / leader does three things well:
Direct, Delegate, Participate.

You don't always want to get your hands dirty with participating but you also don't want your workers thinking you don't know anything, or don't know about the grind.

Don't continue to delegate bad things to the same people. Spread it out and don't show a common bias. Let people know that they're all equal and everyone is going to have one of those **** days.

Direct. Be fluent with how you talk. Talk like you've been there, done that. Give good directions, communicate well, and make sure they workers know how to explain, or express what they're doing and why.

Just my two cents. :P

[SuperBowlNachos]

My bosses are literally like in Office Space. One of them sent out an email to the group about something that a couple people were doing wrong. Within 15 minutes the other 2 did a reply all and literally just summed up one the first one said. So we had 3 emails saying the same thing.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

I don't associate with them at all. Never have, never will. I learned a long time ago they can't be trusted.

[mgoblue]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

My boss now is someone I worked with (not as my boss) at my previous job.

He doesn't feel totally like a "boss" in the normal sense. That's with everyone though, he's hands off until you screw up, and then I'd expect him to call me out if I was screwing up or not delivering.

Our entire office is more casual though, so that's pretty nice.

[seasprite]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

Not a complaint..just wanted to say that

..but im not really happy with my current one. I've been under her a few months after being put here from under someone else out of the blue... she had an issue with my time sheet but instead of talking to me, she sent me a calendar invite for a work topic, but when I got to her office for the meeting she had HR sitting in the room.

Not only is that wrong, but I ended up getting wrote up, had to adjust my schedule to come here earlier and was denied a flex schedule even though she does it. After a clean record of 13 years of service here... this happens after just a few months under someone who was just made a manager and It has made things really awkward so outside of work stuff, I dont ask personal questions, don't ask about vacation or the weekend...its all work and nothing else for me.

I cant trust anybody that would throw me under the bus to cover themselves in that manner.

I always though that Steve was a classy and standup kind of guy...................

[23]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

I always though that Steve was a classy and standup kind of guy...................

[23]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

My bosses are literally like in Office Space. One of them sent out an email to the group about something that a couple people were doing wrong. Within 15 minutes the other 2 did a reply all and literally just summed up one the first one said. So we had 3 emails saying the same thing.

Direct corporate world stuff... you have to cc everybody on emails, man thats annoying. Yep i have to do that too now, and I dont like it.

[The 24th Letter]

My boss is a relative and my bosses boss is a friend, so as far as management goes I don't have any problems at all...

[TheMatrix31]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

My boss is awesome. He's like another friend to me. Used to be the guy who owned the ice cream shop I helped manage, but once that store closed, someone offered him a spot and I hopped on board a few months later doing some online stuff for these guys. We've argued, fought, and bickered for years, but that's part of the fun. I cussed him out the other day, lol.

So he's awesome, and the guy who owns the company I work at now is pretty cool too. Informal office setting right now.

I've been lucky. I can't handle POS bosses. Lord knows what's gonna happen when I get a real job.

[Phobia]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

Me and my boss run a company side by side. We have a excellent relationship, cut up and clown at work all the time. Matter of fact at the moment he is wasting time watching that little girl who plays football on the computer and talking in my ear the whole time about it as I'm trying to type this lol

[cjonesfan921]

Re: What kind of relationship do you have with your boss?

My boss is in his 70s...our communication on a daily basis is work-related. The only time I really care about what he is saying is year end.