When I’ve asked; “What qualities does a good manager have?” hundreds of people over the years have said that being approachable comes near the top of their list. When people feel that their manager is approachable, they also feel empowered to work productively and without the kind of ‘game playing’ that can so easilty infect the workplace.
So how do you make sure you’re approachable? Not just by saying you have an ‘open door policy’, but by showing genuine interest in your team and their concerns; by being understanding when mistakes are made so that they don’t get covered up; by managing people fairly but firmly; by your body language and verbal communication… In other words by really wanting people to approach you. That can be tough when you’re busy and your mind is on the important task you’re grappling with – but never forget that without the co-operation of your team the tasks will not get done as well as you’d like.
