Around 10 years ago when I started working in an office, I noticed one thing very clearly.
There was always a gap between boss and employees.
Not professional boundaries — those are important. I’m talking about a mental gap where employees start feeling scared or uncomfortable around the boss.
Before talking to boss, we used to think:
“Is boss mood okay today?”
“Should I ask for leave now or later?”
“What if boss gets angry?”
Even simple conversations felt stressful sometimes.
Honestly, that feeling always disappointed me.
I used to think:
“Why should office environment feel like this?”
At that time I made a small promise to myself.
If someday I start my own business, I will try to reduce this unnecessary fear and distance as much as possible.
And today, after running my own company and working with my team, I still follow that thinking.
I believe employees work better when they feel comfortable, respected, and connected with the environment around them.
Of course professionalism is important. Work should stay disciplined and responsible. But that does not mean people should feel scared to talk.
That is why I always try to stay around my team normally.
We talk professionally when needed, but we also:
- joke together
- play games during lunch time
- talk about normal life things
- laugh
- discuss random topics
I never wanted my office to feel emotionally heavy.
I wanted people to feel:
“This is our place too.”
And honestly, I feel when employees get that sense of belonging, their confidence automatically increases.
They start taking work more personally.
They care more about quality.
They communicate more openly.
And office starts feeling more human instead of just a workplace.
At the same time, I also respect all bosses and business owners who maintain more formal distance with employees. Every person has their own way of managing business and teams. Different environments work for different people.
This is simply the work culture that personally feels more natural and comfortable to me.
Maybe because I still remember how it felt sitting on the employee side many years ago.