Mistake #5 – Creating the Perception of Favoritism
As a manager, you will connect with some employees better than others. While this is perfectly natural, these connections can lead to friction with other members of the team, as they can create the perception of favoritism. As a manager you must learn to influence the perceptions of your team members. Being aware of how and how often you interact with members of your team is important in managing these perceptions. While you will not treat every member of your team the same, you must treat them all fairly. Any perception of favoritism can be heightened during conflict, and it is possible to appear as though you are choosing sides based on a personal relationship.
Also, as a manager, you must be “friendly” with members on your team, but being close friends with them can make things difficult. While socializing with your team is a good idea, seek to find balance in how much time you spend doing so. Once you become their “friend” it makes it more difficult to be their boss. At some point, you may find yourself making a difficult decision about an employee or having a difficult conversation with them, and if you are too friendly with the employee they may take it too personally, or simply may dismiss you, taking advantage of your relationship.