Skip of ‘Random Thoughts of a CTO’ has a great comparison of the two sides of management, friendship or aloof. A lot of what he covers involves the personality types we’ve talked about before. I’ll leave the final discovery for Skip to explain.
Random Thoughts from a CTO: Can you be friends with those that you manage?:
I have been in management for coming on 8 years. In that period of time, I have asked myself this question repeatedly. What are the benefits of this? What are the consequences? Can friendships be successful in the long run?
I know there are two camps in this area. The first group would tend to believe that it is best to keep the relationships strictly on a business level. Personal relationships should be kept with those away from the workplace…
…The other group would tend to believe that the deeper the relationship, the better you will be in your general interaction. If you know a person better, you will work better with that person.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Dave J. (64 comments.) // Jul 29, 2006 at 11:49 am
The Mets are rocking the NL this year (sorry Astros). Its been interesting to hear how the owner built the team for a ‘good clubhouse vibe’. The players are not only good, they contribute to the spirit and energy of the group. I’ve seen more shots of Pedro Martinez when he isn’t pitching, just goofing on the bench.
Getting this chummy and having fun is a risk, but done right, the sum is greater than the parts.
2 Larry Hendrick // Jul 29, 2006 at 12:42 pm
I agree, and doing it right is not always easy. I also think that baseball is a different environment than an office, after all, they are playing a game, even as serious as it gets. Meaning, they are enjoying what they are doing as opposed to most office workers today.
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