Walking the Line Between Manager and Friend
One of my clients, Simon, was impressed by one of his young direct reports, Joe. Joe showed great potential during the first few years he worked for Simon. He stepped up to any challenge, went the extra mile, and garnered favor from Simon as time went on.
They spent more social time together, went to lunch, and shared their love for baseball. In short, their professional relationship also became a friendship.
Eventually Joe’s professional limitations caught up with him. His work became sloppy, he missed deadlines, and he became expert in making excuses. He hid behind his friendship with Simon to avoid accountability.