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how to become more approachable at work

Do. Encouraging employees to personalize and de-clutter their space can encourage a more conducive environment for being productive. Don't fidget with your pen or the change in your pocket. Your approachability is measured in terms of how you convey yourself to others in terms of your body language, your response to others as well as your appearance. When someone comes at you with tough feedback, fight off your emotional response and try these instead: Thank them for sharing their concern with you. Believe in a better future, and then help make it happen. No one wants to approach someone who is always grumpy. Don’t be choosy with who you acknowledge -- greet those you don’t work with directly, including the clerical and maintenance staff, if you really want to say, “people matter.”. Follow up from previous conversations – ask about kids, trips, activities. Be disingenuous. 1. Sign up for our daily leadership news briefing today, free. Predict. Approachable leadership means paying attention and letting your team know that you are willing to go the extra mile for them. Your colleagues, employer or employees will not view you as someone who is simply a working machine, but will also view you as someone who has compassion, who is understanding and thus, is approachable. The foundation of being strategic starts with being able to prioritize your time differently: Exercise 80/20 rule and do less on the detailed work – stop going to meetings where the value of your work is marginal. You can break the ice by sharing a hobby, or a story about yourself. However, sharing short anecdotes about your personal experiences can be a great way for others in the work place to view you as friendly and approachable. The more you help her achieve her goals and targets the more highly you will be valued. The more detailed-oriented and efficient you are at work, the greater the likelihood that you will excel and advance in your chosen career path. Make the first move; smile at your colleagues and employers. Playing the role of a serious, hardworking worker is not enough. Approachable leadership means paying attention and letting your team know that you are willing to go the extra mile for them. Even better: Those who help you get a … How to Improve Your Credit Score, Who Are the Highest Paid Athletes in the World, What are the Highest Paying Jobs in New Zealand, Why Can’t I Get a Job Anywhere? How to Become More Detail-Orientated & Efficient at Work. How to Keep Candidates Engaged through the Hiring Process, What Can You Bring to The Company? Volunteer to cover a colleague's work while he is on leave. Note: I’ve recently expanded my work on this topic and published the book, “The Proactive Professional: How to Stop Playing Catch Up & Start Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life). The more you know, the more options you have. In the assertive approach, you’re showing resilience by responding in a proactive, future-oriented manner, signaling maturity, level-headedness, and a commitment to the company. Oftentimes, that will be by making time for them even when they don’t. By shutting yourself off and expecting people to come up to you first, you give off an air of arrogance and make yourself seem unapproachable. There might be cases where you simply do not agree with what is being told to you. People always find it easier to approach a smiling face. Be mindful of your body language when you are listening to someone who speaks to you at work. Here are a few tips that can help you to manage well and become more approachable at work: Your body language conveys to others what you are not telling them through your words. Adopt an open posture. To be approachable you need to act approachable The more helpful responses are easy to identify and hard to do, but I know you can do them. Don't just talk; make an effort to listen. If you seem distracted with something, or are busy looking out of your window when someone is talking to you, it will make you seem unapproachable. However, give others a chance to express their opinions. This posture leaves your face confidently exposed to the world, rather than closed off and unwelcoming. 10.Become very self-aware and ask people close to you what you’re strengths and weaknesses are. This will help you strengthen the bond and open lines of communication at the work place. Whether you are an employee, or you are working at a managerial level, being approachable is a quality that you should imbibe in you. The opportunity to innovate is something most of us want more of in our daily work lives. That way, they will know that you can be approached a second time if they come up with another idea without you shutting the idea down for no good reason. As helpful as it might be, share your stories of success in the workplace to build up team spirit and morale, it is also important to share your stories of failure. How to Use Artificial Intelligence in Talent Acquisition Process? However, don’t push it too far—keep it light. Your silence will only be recognized as an air of arrogance and ego which you have built around you, even if you did not mean to do so. While sitting, lean back slightly and make yourself comfortable. Becoming an approachable leader is probably the greatest thing a leader can accomplish. So, work on cultivating personal connections with your colleagues, and allow them to get to know you. Being approachable, specially at work, is the key to building strong interpersonal relationships with your colleagues. However, they decide not to. Here are a few ways you can inject mindful moments into your day so you can de-stress and do your best. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use| CCPA "Do Not Sell My Personal Information", Sign up for our daily leadership news briefing today, free, sign up for SmartBrief's daily leadership news briefing, more than 200 industry-focused newsletters, Leadership during the new normal: Inspiring others, The glass ceiling has moved: What women (and their mentors) need to know, Know these essentials for successful talent-focused leadership, Top 10: Restaurant help on the way, new line to launch at Target, Ferrero celebrates Easter, NAW's CEO shares how distributors are delivering, Solar farms embrace new tool to fight soil erosion, 4 questions to ensure successful stretch assignments, Coding teaches students the fun of “figuring it out”, CCPA "Do Not Sell My Personal Information", Make eye contact and practice open body language, Ask faux rhetorical questions, like “hey, how are you?” when you don’t have time for a real answer, Take on every issue or problem as your own; instead, encourage suggestions on ways to move forward, Allow people to fully answer before offering your own suggestions, Simply take on tasks; instead, clear barriers and empower others, Be specific about the problem you’re trying to solve and/or the kind of help you need, Be intentional but considerate when approaching people, Always ask the same people; share opportunities with your entire team, Be too self-deprecating; it can be uncomfortable and make others jump to your defense, Acknowledge issues, but commit to helping find solutions. Instead of lashing out, getting angry or shutting them down, learn how to disagree without disrespecting. When someone at the work place has taken the effort to do something which is appreciable, take a few moments out to appreciate this effort. A small smile can go a long way. Stop perfecting Powerpoint and focus more on the “so what” of the slide. Forget those who don’t seek you out or cross your path regularly.Make an effort to strike up a conversation with team members who are more quiet or less comfortable in social situations. In order to make this a successful approach, you should be able to communicate your strategies or … Make sure employees have non-work related activities and events planned, and that everyone feels valued on their teams. Taking an interest in the opinion of others at your work place can be a great move for building interpersonal relationships, helping others feel validated and allowing people to voice out their opinions. By congratulating them sincerely when they have achieved something. Fixate on hierarchy; think of your role as leader as facilitator, not dictator. If … A simple ‘Thank You’ can be highly appreciated at the work place. If you enjoyed this article, you can sign up for SmartBrief's daily leadership news briefing. This would help you to develop an ideal team work situation and in the long run help in getting returns both in terms of higher productivity from your employees and also building better business relationships. Give others a fair chance to feel like their contributions are worthy at the work place. As your office starts to see you as approachable, they will find it easier to approach you and talk to you. Teams want someone who will help figure out how to do things better and then help make that happen, not someone to assign work and finish tasks for them. When situations aren’t ideal, it’s still possible to believe in the ability to overcome or recover and to plan better for the future. The best leaders know when to crack a smile, when to add in a joke and when to just laugh along with everyone else. When you can, ditch the tie or the formal attire in addition to the formal attitude. Employers appreciate employees who are able to consistently perform the responsibilities of … Diversity Hiring: How to Hire More Diverse Candidates? Be calm and explain to the person why you do not agree with their idea or opinion expressed. This simple phrase conveys so much -- it signals that you’re listening and are willing to aid in the solution. In order to be proactive, you must first develop foresight. Studies have supported the role of mindfulness training on psychological resilience, therefore making it a helpful intervention in resilience training in the workplace (Joyce et al., 2018). To be more proactive at work, develop simple methods that can aid in doing your work faster and more efficiently. Don’t interrupt them; however, make small vocalisations so that they know that you are keeping up with their chain of thought. There’s always going to be some separation between leaders and those who work with them. Constantly insulting yourself or poking fun at your quirks makes people uncomfortable and quickly makes you the person to avoid at the office. Keeping your door open will give the impression that you are welcoming your colleagues to speak with you if required. If you are working in a leadership role, being approachable is even more essential. Some people take pride in the way they are able to put up an air of mystery around themselves. Showing vulnerability and a sense of humor make you more likable and approachable. Instead, you ask for more clarity on the company’s future and define tangible goals and targets that you can review when you revisit your salary request down the road. Maybe you were doing this subconsciously, and did not mean to give off any wrong vibes. Keep your hands relaxed at your sides or use them to gesture when making conversation. 2. More than just a nice-to-have, the art of being approachable is a necessary attribute for effective leaders at any level or organization because it is a pre-condition of trust and open communication. Social anxiety is an issue that many people deal with on a daily basis, so do your best to make everyone feel comfortable. They do not wish to disturb, or even worse, anger the person. Create a process-oriented approach to workflow management. a company handbook, an ethics code, induction pack, disciplinary and grievance procedures). Consider allowing people to work from home to help them achieve a better work/life balance . Proactive people are rarely caught by surprise. The trick to becoming more approachable at work is to develop good communication skills. In short, put people first and cultivate both personal and professional relationships with your colleagues. Smile and make eye contact. 10 Ways to Be More Mindful at Work. Make the first move; smile at your colleagues and employers. Run the ideas by them and ask them what they think of it. It encourages strategic problem-solving and offers up intervention only where requested, empowering others instead of taking over. Give them a chance to speak, and maybe share their own ideas with you. These are simple gestures, actions and behavioural changes that you can imbibe into your personality which will help you become more approachable at work. We are all taught from a very young age that we should learn to be friendly, be a good listener and be open to other people. Even though you might be nervous, avoid the habits that go along with the feeling. By extending your sympathies to a colleague or employee if they are upset over something. Show you’re invested in what they say. © 2018 SmartBrief All rights reserved. When you come across a problem, offer up a … It is important to maintain a good body language at work. 10 Simple Tips, Top 30 Recruitment Mistakes: How to Overcome Them, What is an Interview: Definition, Objectives, Types & Guidelines, 20 Effective or Successful Job Search Strategies & Techniques, Remote Recruitment: Everything You Need to Know. Executives hoping to become more strategic should look for opportunities to innovate in their communication of data, while prodding their organizations to institutionalize such capabilities. This will make you look like a normal person who has their shares of ups and downs in the workplace, instead of some super-human robot who is only capable of hitting home runs. Maybe one of your colleagues come across you sitting at your desk and wish to come up and say hi to you. Beyond legal compliance rules, there are a range of documents covering professional conduct at work (e.g. Just saying “good morning” builds your approachability and reputation in small increments every day. If you sign up, you’ll receive the free e-book “41 Proven Strategies to Get Promoted Now!” His website GarfinkleExecutiveCoaching.com has over 300 free articles on leadership, workplace issues and career advancement. While this characteristic might seem intriguing in a different environmental setting, it is least advisable to do so in the work place. Instead, extend the conversation by asking them how their project is progressing, or whether they caught the most popular show on TV the previous night. The most effective leaders draw people to them. This type of leader makes you realize he is there for you. Your co-workers or employees have shared an idea with you which they seemed pretty excited about. How To Become An Approachable Leader. Ask how about their tasks, about barriers they’ve encountered, about troubling factors and distractions from outside work. However, your body language made it seem like you do not wish to be approached. You let the office know that yesterday’s tensions are in the past and you’re ready to meet them all today for fresh new discussions. You should not bring your home life at work so you can focus on your job and you will be more pleasant to your colleagues. Garfinkle recently worked with an executive who was faced with building relationships with an entirely new staff, whose prior boss was a closed-door, remote vice president. This can make you seem more approachable. You know from your own career that while tough, stoic leaders may be revered or even feared, they don’t have that gravitas to build a truly great team of high performers. When you're approachable, team members do not sit on or cover up problems. People are most likely to resonate with a leader who feels at their level but with the power to make their jobs easier and more successful. This also means boosting team morale and ensuring positive communication within the team. By exercising this small move, you will help put your colleagues or employees at the work place at ease, making you more approachable to discuss ideas and share opinions with. If you want to be approachable, lead by example and physically keep your door open whenever you can. 3. Asking “how can I help?” is a powerful tool in the effective leader’s toolkit. It does not have to be very intimate or something that you don’t feel particularly comfortable sharing. It is also advisable not to share personal stories. Top 14 Reasons, How to Improve or Increase Your Brain Power? Keep your head up and your shoulders square rather than slumped forward. We have put together 5 top organization skills that will enable you to increase efficiency, maximize your workspace, effectively use information, and employ timely communication skills. However, upon further thought, you decided that maybe it was not the best time to put the idea into action at that moment. Demonstrating that you care, even when everything is going right, makes it easier for people to come to you when they really need your help. Keeping the door of your room open, sends a message to your office, saying that you are present, and you are not trying to avoid anyone. You don't need to meditate every day to experience the benefits of mindfulness at work. Some of the simple ways in which you can show your compassion and empathy is. If You Must disagree, Do It With Respect: The Best Chrome Extensions for Recruiters Are, Coronavirus and Working From Home Policy Best Practices, How to Work From Home Remotely as a Recruiter, How to Prevent Coronavirus by Disinfecting Your Home, How to Write an Elite Executive Resume? Keep in … To become more flexible by overcoming limitations at your job, you could consider taking classes or special training to learn how to manage specific situations, work with team members and develop your problem-solving skills. It can be tempting to express frustration and cynicism in the face of bad news, but great leaders can acknowledge that there are troubles, while expressing confidence in the team to make the most of it and get things done. Approachable leaders are leaders you feel comfortable going to. Exude negative body language such as crossed arms, unfriendly facial expressions or a closed off body. If you want to ensure that your reputation for openness precedes you, read on for tips on how to be more approachable at work and improve your social skills. 12. It does not matter what kind of an industry you are working in; whether you are working under someone in an office, or you run your own business, being approachable is a key foundation for building up the pillars of how your work life will turn out. Ensure that your staff or colleagues can come up to you with a problem that they are facing, knowing that you will be ready to help them in any way possible. There is no single trick or hack to become more approachable at work. It is possible that you were sitting at your desk with your arms crossed and with a stern look on your face. It’s available on Amazon here. Set aside time in your week to check in with your team. By expecting that people will want to talk to us, and allowing ourselves that confidence we start to mentally prepare and make our whole approach more accommodating for others. Imbibing these qualities and natural instincts into your workplace can greatly affect your work life. Use an upright posture: Straight back and arms uncrossed. Vocalise your thoughts and actions and explain exactly why you decided not to go ahead with the idea with the person involved. Being more approachable 1. Yet often, we feel we can’t be more creative at work because of factors beyond our control. While you must find a system that works for you, there are some strategies that can help anyone become more organized and productive. Similarly, asking for help is something that great leaders do, and do regularly. People often find it more intimidating to approach someone at a higher authority when the door of their room is closed. While speaking skills are important in a workplace, it is also important to be a good listener. We talk more about how to look friendly in the next section. Have a friendly facial expression. Teams want someone who will help figure out how to do things better and then help make that happen, not someone to assign work and finish tasks for them. Stop touching your face or playing with your hair. It may seem most effective to be all business, all the time, but good leadership includes making time to connect with others on a personal level. By working with Garfinkle to make herself approachable, she was able to draw the team to her and build a high-functioning team. This superficially insignificant move can go a long way in building an image for you at work. This is what an approachable leader is. When the bosses door is closed a lot people will not want to knock and interrupt you. Most people genuinely do want to help -- it’s human nature. While it is great if you take the initiative and greet the person first, stopping the conversation dead in its tracks after the initial “Good Morning” can be quite harsh. Use an open body language. It is not necessary that you must agree with whatever is being told to you in order to seem approachable. Initiate conversations with your co-workers. This can make you seem more approachable. Often, they will end up not approaching you at all. How to Be More Approachable If you’re worried you are unapproachable — or if you know that one of your managers has this problem — here are some steps to make employees feel more comfortable. This includes avoiding frowning, having a friendly smile, making eye contact, and being expressive. Joel Garfinkle conducts executive coaching and is the author of "Getting Ahead." By apologizing for a mistake at work if you are wrong. This doesn’t have to take up a large portion of your day and can often be done in the small moments near the coffee machine or the walk to and from a meeting.

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