The old saying goes that while the cat’s away, the mice will play and this week Maureen’s mice are taking over the blog while she visits clients, candidates and enjoys a few days of sunshine in Gibraltar and Spain.
So speaking of my boss, I read somewhere that the 22nd August was National Hug Your Boss Day. Apparently the organisers TipTopJob.com say that if you are comfortable with giving your boss a hug, then you are probably happier and more productive at work. They also suggest that if you can’t hug your boss, then maybe your relationship with him/her needs to be addressed.
The thought of anyone sauntering into the office and hugging their manager during morning briefings tickles me somewhat as I’m sure that like me, most employees just don’t hug their managers but does that mean that I’m unhappy in my job? Does the fact that my boss and I don’t hug mean that our working relationship needs to be addressed? No I don’t think it does!
Obviously having a pleasant and contented relationship with your manager can improve morale, productivity and loyalty. You don’t need to do much research to come up with this but I’m sure there is a better, more appropriate way to maintain good working relationships with each other.
Perhaps just the simple act of thanking your boss for help with a project or giving positive feedback to them would be a much better idea – a sort of ‘vocal hug’ you might say. Bosses need to be motivated with positive reinforcement too! I’m sure this would make any workplace a happier and more productive environment.
On the other hand, if you feel that hugging your boss would be a good way of maintaining and improving your relationship with them then I would suggest taking a look at The Oatmeal’s helpful diagram below on the worst types of hug which should give you a clue of what not to do and hopefully stop us HR folk being inundated with complaints about unwanted physical contact with other employees… Not that I’m trying to put you off or anything…
And finally, there is still time to enter our summer competition with a chance to win a bottle of Ridgeview bubbly for the best three statements:
- The HR specialist who
- The Learning and Development manager who
- The HR or People Director who
The deadline date for entries 1st October 2013. Don’t miss out!