When manager-employee relationships grow too close it can compromise a manager’s ability to act as he or she might really want or need to.
Source: Forbes.com, February 6, 2019 Link. When normal boundaries get blurred, when managers start getting “too close” or “too familiar,” it can open the door for all kinds of awkwardness and unintended issues to seep in. In this instance, it almost led a good employee to “quit on the spot” – which would have been a major unwanted turnover/retention problem.
INSIGHTS: Your relationships should be based on mutual RESPECT, not friendship.