Being a good manager requires a delicate balance of aloofness and connectivity; most managers don’t have it dialed in yet. Failing to recognize that they can no longer be buddy-buddy with their subordinates, ultra-connected managers come off a little bit cringey and overbearing. On the opposite side of the spectrum, unfriendly managers aren’t well received by their team, becoming too distant and unapproachable to perform their duties. It’s rare to have a manager who knows exactly how to be at arm’s length, while also being incredibly approachable. One way to ensure that your workforce is feeling super awkward around you is to force them to socialize after hours.
Personally, when I’m done with work for the day, I want to go home. I don’t want to continue spending time with my cubicle-mates and I certainly don’t want to listen to a brown-nosing manager talk about how great they are over a pint of room-temperature drinks. Moreover, if I’m not being paid for a work-event-style after-hours chin flap, I’m not going to be there. And you better believe that the guy in this next story wasn’t going to spend a minute longer with his department lead, quoting state workers’ rights to get out of HH.
Author: Kayitsi.com
