15-05-2025
Can you ever be friends with your boss? Probably not—and here's why
BY
Want to enjoy your job a little more? Maybe you need a BFF at work. According to Gallup, having a best friend at work increases job satisfaction, innovation, engagement, and productivity, and it decreases your chances of leaving the company. But can that friend ever be your boss?
'You may think, If I'm going to have a friend at work, shouldn't it be the CEO? Why not go for the top and get the most benefits from the friendship? ' says Steve McClatchy, author of Leading Relationships: Build Meaningful Connections, Eliminate Conflict, and Radically Improve Engagement. 'Gallup is telling us that we should have a best friend at work, but it doesn't say that best friend should be your boss.'
Being friends with the boss is more complex than being buddies with a colleague. To understand the difference, McClatchy says you need to understand the definition of friendship.
'Friendship is always working in each other's best interest,' he says. 'In that case, I would not ask my boss for an extra weekend vacation, because that wouldn't be in the boss's best interest. No matter how they walk that thin line with an employee who reports to them, they can always be accused of playing favorites, whether it's true or not.'
