I got shit from my manager for doing this.

Like, I would treat the cleaning lady and the director of the division roughly the same way. I didn't report to neither of them, so no conflict there. Just when I'd walk by them in the hall, I'd be equally "hey, how are you? how are the kids?" with both of them. When the director would have his lunch in the kitchen with us, I'd just ask him to pass me the water same as I would anyone. If a conversation arose, I'd be as quick to ask him his opinion or reply to what he had to say, than I would with anyone else. My coworkers usually went more quiet or didn't want to speak up much with him around. My manager, as "parting advice" told me that maybe I should think about my stance, that I treat the director the same way I treat anyone else, and that it might come to bite me in the ass. But at the end of the day, we're both there for the same thing: to do a job, to earn money, to take home and pay for our personal lives. Why would I make it awkkward? He's just a human, too, right?