Becoming More Approachable in Organization

With tough times ahead, here are some tips plucked from an article to become known as a more approachable person in your organization.

Whether you’re an office professional, middle manager, executive, executing these strategies will accomplish three goals:
(1) Boost the net worth of your human capital
(2) Attract MORE attention, MORE people and MORE opportunities into your world
(3) Increase the possibility for the company to keep you in the organization

A) Boost your communication self-awareness.
You think you’re approachable. And maybe you are. But it doesn’t matter what you think. It matters what other people remember. It matters what other people feel. So, view performance feedback as a learning opportunity to find out where you can do better.

B) Be assertive, not aggressive.
Here’s the difference: Assertive allows dialogue; aggressive prohibits listening. Assertive seeks solutions; aggressive just blames. Assertive is direct; aggressive is blunt. Assertive takes charge; aggressive takes over. Assertive invites collaboration; aggressive seeks compliance.

C) Expand your openness to learning from others.
Not only does it demonstrate openness to learn form others; it also makes people feel essential. It shows you listened, it shows you care and it shows you’re approachable enough to learn from anybody, anytime, anywhere.

D) Allow people to experience that they can change your mind.
Defensiveness is defined as “the attempt to prevent new ideas from entering into your world.” This, of course, is dangerous, as there are always people who are more experienced than you are.

E) Recognize disagreements as opportunities.
Not arguing. Not backing away. Not getting defensive. Don’t view feedback as a direct challenge to your intelligence and authority, nor as a threat to your position or role. Get over yourself and get inside the words. How many new opportunities did you overlook yesterday because you were blinded by defensiveness? How are you encouraging disagreements? And what would happen to your perception as a leader if you greeted all comments, ideas and suggestions with a welcoming heart?