There's no "Friend" in Business

Can bosses be too nice?

According to an article by David Koeppel on Portfolio.com a boss needs to be a little bossy to succeed at the workplace.

Indeed, 9 out of 10 workplace problems are caused by the lack of engagement on the part of a manager.

Rather than being an effective leader, some managers play so much nicey-nice wanting to be everyone's friend - and in the process wind up avoiding important managerial duties like criticism, feedback, employee guidance, reprimanding an employee when they've failed, and confronting a worker when they haven't met set goals or expectations.

These kinds of dialogues are imperative for an office and it's output to be effective. Unfortunately, when managers fail to have them, they're often conducted by a less qualified person.

Also... one of the big roles of a manager is to direct and oversee the final products of an office. If this final goal remains unclear and unstated because a boss is playing nicey-nice, then mixed signals and misinterpretations will occur -- creating a hodgepodge of what everyone thinks they're supposed to be doing.

Plus, if an employee is faltering at work and they don't know it, how can they ever improve? Without someone to boldly tell them how they can make themselves a better worker, they will be forever stuck in a stagnant pool of mediocrity.

Ditto in relationships.

Being disengaged in a love relationship – trying to play so nicey-nice that you stop being authentic and communicative -- is also a surefire way to ensure a relationship's demise. A disengaged nicey-nice partner will wind up coming off as bored and disinterested, which in turn rubs off on the people around them.

So try to make sure you're not playing nicey-nice with those around you. And if you're not -- but you know someone who is -- be sure not to be too nicey- nice about it -- and instead confront them with helpful, instructive ways that they can improve.

Holley Simmons Reporting!