Are you an unapproachable boss?

One of the big perks of being the boss is having your own personal office. Your office gives you the power of privacy and you can shut the door at anytime to avoid interruptions.

Makes life nice, right? Well, maybe not. Just because you have a door to your office doesn’t mean you need to adopt a closed-door policy - both literally and figuratively.

Think about your relationship with your staffers. Have you ever notice them to get quiet or have looks of intimidation (or even fear) when you walk by?

You might be giving off a ‘do not disturb’ vibe without even realizing it. After all, this behavior is easy to see from the outside, but many people struggle to recognize this element in themselves. Most people realize they have flaws, but all of us like to believe we are approachable people, but that is just not always the case.

In fact, only about 12 percent of employees believe their employers genuinely listen to and care about them, according to the marketing research firm, Martiz Research.

When employees feel their manager is unapproachable it can soon result in other issues such as employee resentment and an unhealthy office culture. In addition, you might be seen as difficult to read and hard to trust.

Part of your duty as a manager is to identify areas where you need to improve. Even if you believe you are a friendly person to most, think about what it is that others could find unapproachable about you. Maybe you only spend time with those in your small circle at work, and others could find that group closed in a way they find unfriendly or excluding.

Or perhaps you are so focused on your own tasks that you don’t even notice other people around you. As long as they are getting their job done, you may feel you don’t have to interact with them much. But this thought process could result in negative employee relations.

You should strive to become a more approachable leader. Approachability is about being accessible and helpful, along with showing a genuine interest for your work colleagues.

Here are some tips to remember:

Make a point to talk with your peers one-on-one in an informal way. Get to know them as individuals, and you will likely find something besides work that you have in common. This will likely smooth out your working relationships.

Extend common courtesies to others; for example, greet people in the morning, say,’ hello’ in the halls, and say, ‘thank you’ when someone does something on your behalf.

Look for opportunities to ask the question, ‘How can I help you?’

Schedule or participate in more frequent one-on-one meetings. Use these opportunities to build relationships and let others get to know you and the skills you have to offer.

Make sure you are not manipulating people or creating a climate of mistrust around you. In particular, don’t use information unfairly to gain advantage.

Show interest in other people by asking questions about him or her, rather than talking exclusively about yourself or solely about work issues.

I know you like having that office to yourself, but try to have more of an open-door policy. You might be surprised on how that simple act can make a huge difference with your employees.

Some managers aren’t ready for the role

Lots of employees complain about their bosses. After all, if your company has at least one employee, they are probably going to have a complaint. These complaints about managers can be simple frustrations to full-on discontent.

But what if the manager secretly agrees with some of these complaints?

A new survey from CareerBuilder asked more than 2,480 employees and 3,910 workers to rate their company’s leaders. Among the managers that were surveyed, 26% said they weren’t ready to become leaders when they first took the job.

Why are some new managers not ready for the role and responsibilities that come with the job? Well, some managers have been promoted as a way to reward and encourage high performers. Sure, these employees may have contributed to the bottom line, but it doesn’t mean they will automatically become a great manager.

Many times these managers do bring a specialized talent to their new position, but they need to broaden their competencies in order to become models of leadership for the whole organization. They have to grasp bigger picture issues and motivate teams to tackle problems.

Without proper transition into the role, the organization could lose a great individual contributor and gain a mediocre manager. And a mediocre manager could eventually become ineffective at motivating and engaging employees.

New managers need the appropriate tools and training to help fully understand their new role. One tool to aid in this transition is the 360 feedback process.

Candid feedback on one's management competencies gives the new manager clarification on their role, as well as what behaviors need to continue, be stopped, or be changed.

Making use of such feedback can be a powerful development tool for leaders who are looking to mitigate any weaknesses and capitalize on strengths. Both positive and negative feedback can help leaders improve their performance.

Instilling a feedback culture is one way to soften the transition from peer to manager.

Now it’s your turn, what tips do you have for new managers?

From Friend to Boss

So a great new position came your way – you are officially a manager! Since you’ve mastered the skill set required for your current position becoming a manager should be a natural move.

However, the title and responsibilities of manager isn’t always sunshine and roses. New managers have to supervise direct reports who were formerly peers. Instead of focusing primarily on maintaining their own specific technical skills, goals, and deadlines they have to manage those aspects for others.

In other words, one day you are playing golf with your buddy, and the next day you are now his boss at work.


In a perfect world, it would be great to be both a boss and a friend. But the reality is that you and your former peers may no longer be friends in the same way. Instead of being on the same level, the promoted individual is now in a position of power and authority.

Change at any level can create uncertainty and confusion, but if you develop a game plan, the shift from friend to boss will be easier. Consider these following suggestions.

Set clear expectations. By setting expectations early on, you will avoid a misunderstanding later. A major function of managers is to ensure team members understand how their jobs relate to the organization’s goals and objectives, and to set team-level goals that are challenging, measurable, and meaningful. Ask for input from the team and ask them to identify key changes that would improve the department’s functioning.

Don’t play favorites. Just because you are now the boss does not mean you have to completely distance yourself from your coworkers. However, if you’re reluctant to discipline someone for fear of what it would do to your friendship, then the ties you have with that person will prevent you from doing your job. Focus on developing strong relationships with each member of your department.

Gather feedback. If you worry you could exhibit any type of favoritism, gather feedback from those around you. Candid feedback on one's management competencies gives the new manager clarification on their role, as well as what behaviors need to continue, be stopped, or be changed.

What’s your advice about the transition from friend to boss?