Last year I conducted training for a behavioral health organization on supervisory performance. The organization needed help with employee and supervisory accountability. The training discussed how communication, skills, and attitude make for excellent leaders and other qualities. We also discussed how employees need structure, expectations, communication, praise, monitoring, and direction.
During the conversation on supervisory performance, one of the attendees asked if, as a supervisor, they can still be friends with their subordinates. They talked about how they were first-line staff at their organization and were promoted. The people they supervised were originally their friends and would engage in social gatherings outside of work. When the attendee received their new job, these activities continued, and they believed they were still an effective manager.
According to an article in Indeed, "Bosses, supervisors, and managers can be friends with their employees as long as the relationship doesn't interfere with professional matters. Their friendship can exist outside of work, but it can't affect either individual's productivity or reputation." An article on the Muse website states, "While good bosses should strive to have a deep, human relationship with their employees, the truth is the manager-employee relationship isn't a friendship." It even has the following quote: "As Colin Powell said, leadership sometimes means being willing to piss people off."
Returning to the training, my experience managing employees for over 30 years made me question the new supervisor's ability to be impartial to their friends/subordinates. How can one, I asked, give an employee a verbal warning and then go out for coffee with them? This relationship is similar to the dual relationships with clinicians; one cannot be a therapist, professional, or friend simultaneously. Therefore, the employee was given another perspective on their supervisory performance.
Having a subordinate as a friend creates mixed feelings and difficulties in the workplace. When I finished the training, the executive director spoke to me to thank me for clarifying their position, too. Suppose your behavioral health organization has supervisors who oversee individuals with whom they have been friends. In that case, the leaders must guide these managers to ensure they are clear on their roles to maximize supervisory performance.
Praxes Behavioral Health provides consulting and training for improving employee performance. For more information, feel free to contact us.
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PRAXES is a nationwide behavioral health software, consulting, and training company. No one in the behavioral health industry has a better reputation, and if you give us the chance, we’ll show you why! At PRAXES, our services improve the efficiency and structure of behavioral health agencies serving children and families nationwide. PRAXES brings over 45 years of administrative and clinical expertise. With more than 100 client companies nationwide, we offer the expertise to advance the quality of behavioral health services. We accomplish these goals through our new clinical decision software, our training of best practices, and helping companies meet regulatory standards. At PRAXES, we believe in being creative and fostering new ways to serve children and their families. Our vision is to empower the families our agencies serve with skills that not only improve their functioning, but help them to thrive in their everyday lives. When you give us the chance, you’ll be connected directly to our friendly staff, so you can expect immediate attention to your inquiry. So, don’t wait, call now!
Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
PRAXES has over 30 years of accreditation experience. We know what it takes to get your organization accredited. Whether it’s Joint Commission, CARF, or COA, our team can provide an evaluation of your current status and review the standards which need improvements. We will assist you with the policies, documentation, and training required to be accredited.
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