Let’s be honest after a long week of targets, clients, and endless “urgent” emails, the idea of grabbing a cold drink with your team sounds tempting. But before you shout, “First round is on me!”, let me tell you about Mr. Phiri in Zambia.
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Mr. Phiri was that fun-loving entrepreneur. Every Friday, he would go out for drinks with two of his employees. The music? Loud. The dancing? Questionable. The bottles? Endless.
By the end of the night, it wasn’t Mr. Phiri driving his fancy car home it was his employees, dragging him like a sack of potatoes and delivering him at his gate like fragile luggage.
At first, it looked harmless. Team bonding, right? But over time, something shifted:
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Muchiya, one of his employees, stopped respecting him. After all, once you’ve driven your boss home singing Mugove at the top of your lungs, it’s hard to fear his Monday morning pep talks.
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Rumors started flying. Some staff even had pictures of Phiri in his “sloppy drunken state” saved on their phones like trophies.
Soon, respect in the office had evaporated faster than a cheap beer on a hot Zambian afternoon.****
So, is it wrong to drink with employees? Not necessarily. But here’s the truth: if your staff see you drunk, out of control, or worse looking like a lost goat on a dance floor the respect barrier breaks.
It’s the same logic as dating a subordinate. Once they’ve seen you “naked” (literally or figuratively), do you think they’ll still respect your authority?
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Bond without blunders – You can hang out, but know your limits.
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Respect is fragile – One careless night can undo years of credibility.
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Keep some mystery – A little distance keeps professionalism intact.
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Choose environments wisely – Networking dinner? Fine. Wild nightclub until 2 a.m.? Risky.
If you must go drinking with your subordinates, remember this: one beer is team bonding, six beers is a resignation letter in the making.
So next time, ask yourself: Do I want to be seen as a leader, or as Friday night’s entertainment?
By The Chartered Vendor
