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Originally Posted by Diurnal
Couldn't agree more. Surveys show that most employees quit their jobs because of their supervisor and/or manager, and not because of money. I think supervisors and managers are put there without proper training and they are chosen for the wrong skills, and when they are put there they become authoritative and closed minded to others who are low in rank. For example, I have a supervisor who is very detached from her employees at the personal level. She doesn't know anything about them, and she doesn't want to. She would walk in on you in the kitchen and not even acknowledge you, not even with a short look and a nod  , let alone strike a small talk, yet when it's time to distribute tasks under the manager's eyes, she is polite and greeting you ... etc. It's difficult to reconcile the two faces. I feel she's using me as a means like a robot without proper acknowledgment to me as a human being first. Even when I finish tasks, she doesn't thank me. Just "here is your next task" ... etc |
Sounds like that boss took the whole being professional to an extreme level. I do understand why some people may not want to discuss things that involve non-work activities or other things in their lives. I'll be honest, I'm sort of like that myself since I believe no one truly cares or wants to hear. But engaging in small talk to relieve some awkwardness and create a more balanced environment is key to a more positive work environment.
One thing I've observed is that people are more willing to talk about the happy stuff that is happening in their lives. Like weddings, graduations, other special events. It's when things get bad when people tend to clam up and say they are just going through personal issues. I'm more like that as well. In the rare times I do open up, I'm more willing to talk about the good stuff and hide the bad. I even keep funerals to myself. Keeping things completely work related can create awkwardness, which seems to be the case at your previous job.