8 ways to become a more approachable leader

8 ways to become a more approachable leader8 ways to become a more approachable leaderThemost effective leadersdraw people to them. You know from your own career that while tough, stoic leaders may be revered or even feared, they dont have that gravitas to build a truly great team of high performers.If you want to ensure that your reputation for openness precedes you, read on for tips to improve your approachability.1. Greet everyoneJust saying good morning builds your reputation in small increments every day. When you greet everyone warmly day in and day out, you convey that people matter to you. You let the arbeitszimmer know that yesterdays tensions are in the past and youre ready to meet them all today for fresh new discussions.Dont be choosy with who you acknowledge - greet those you dont work with directly, including the clerical and maintenance staff, if you really want to say, people matter.DoLearn peoples names, and use themMake eye contactDontAsk faux rhetorical questions, like hey, how are you? when you dont have time for a real answer2. Show you carePeople are drawn to those who share a genuine care and concern for others. Set aside time in your week tocheck in with your team. Ask how about their tasks, about barriers theyve encountered, about troubling factors and distractions from outside work.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.DoGive your full, undivided attentionAsk follow-up questionsReflect and recap what youve heardDontTake on every issue or problem as your own instead, encourage suggestions on ways to move forwardAsk only when you know theres a problem3. Offer helpAsking how can I help? is a powerful tool in the effective leaders toolkit. This simple phrase conveys so much - it signals that youre listening and are willing to aid in the solution. It encourages strategic problem-solving and offers up intervention only where requested, empowering others instead of taking over.DoAllow people to fully answer before offering your own suggestionsBe clear on next stepsFollow up with actions youve agreed toDontSimply take on tasks instead, clear barriers and empower others.4. Ask for helpSimilarly, asking for help is something that great leaders do, and do regularly. The less experienced might incorrectly think that taking the lead means never requiring assistance. Most people genuinely do want to help - its human nature. Asking for help provides opportunity for others to shine in addition to making sure you get the best solution and the right person doing the job.DoBe specific about the problem youre trying to solve and/or the kind of help you needDontAlways ask the same people share opportunity with your entire team.5. Have a sense of humorThere are times that require absolute seriousness, and those that require levity. The best leaders know when to crack a smile, when to add in a joke and when to just laugh along w ith everyone else. Theres no science to it, so think about the leaders youve admired in the past and their approach to humor in the workplace.DoBe willing to laugh at the situationUse a little humor to break tensionDontUse cutting humor at anyones expenseBe too self-deprecating it can be uncomfortable and make others jump to your defense6. Be optimisticOne key leadership quality that is showing up more often on companies most desirable list is optimism. It can be tempting toexpress frustration and cynicismin the face of challenge, 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.Believe in a better future, and then help make it happen. People are drawn to others with a positive outlook.DoStay positive whenever possibleAcknowledge issues, but commit to helping find solutionsDontBe disingenuous. When situations arent ideal, its still possible to believe in the ability to overcome or recover an d to plan better for the future.7. Make time to chatIt 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. Get to know people, discuss nonwork matters and ask about them and the things they care about.This doesnt 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.DoFollow up from previous conversations ask about kids, trips, activities. Show youre invested in what they sayDontForget those who dont seek you out or cross your path regularly. Make sure to ask after the team members who are more quiet or out-of-the-way8. Loosen upTheres always going to be some separation between leaders and those who work with them. While your role may be more formal, try leid to bring that rigidity into your demeanor - people are more likely to approach those who seem more familiar and on their level. When you can, dit ch the tie or the formal attire in addition to the formal attitude.DoBe casual, but not shabbyDontFixate on hierarchy think of your role as leader as facilitator, not dictator.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. 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.If you want to be approachable, think of the ways you can encourage others to come to you when they need you most. Oftentimes, that will be by making time for them even when they dont.Joel Garfinkle conductsexecutive coachingand is the author of Getting Ahead.This column was originally published on SmartBrief.com.

Reference Check Software Available Free for 3 Months

Reference Check Software Available Free for 3 Months Reference Check Software Available Free for 3 Months The reference check software module streamlines the reference process for both HR administrators and the job candidates managers and colleagues. Instead of clumsily chasing after references by phone, the Selectech 360 reference check system allows hiring managers to automatically generate a list of role specific reference questions and simply send a link by email to the candidate. The candidate then forwards the link to the necessary recipients. The chosen references need only to open the link and answer the questions saving HR countless hours of tiresome phone tag and availability catch up.We are confident the Selectech 360 Reference Check will impact the efficiency of our clients, says ERC Dataplus President Peter Clarke. That is why we are offering new users the first three months for free.The solution allows participants to answer using both standardized and open-ended res ponses. The reference check software also decreases liability and claims of negligent hiring because the system is largely automated and provides consistency to all candidates under consideration. The system automatically requests that references are returned within three business days, and sends a cordial reminders each day to respondents until the survey reaches completion. Selectech 360 reference check also features reporting functionality so that HR is always kept up to date on the progress of each candidate profile.

Jill Abramson on Being Fired - The Muse

Jill Abramson on Being Fired - The MuseJill Abramson on Being Fired You havent made it until youve been fired.Last Friday morning, I joined the New York Women in Communications organization to hear Jill Abramson, the editor of The New York Times who was very publicly fired last year, speak about zu sichbei experience.After she made this proclamation- and the room stopped laughing and clapping, she asked the audience how many of us had been fired. And as I looked around the room of 100 or so women- successful TV producers, magazine editors, marketing and PR professionals, even TODAY Show anchor Erica Hill- I was shocked that the vast majority of them raised their hands. OK, so being let go is probably not exactly the secret ingredient to their success, but what these women did have in common was that they saw being fired not as the end of their careers, but as a jumping-off point for something even better. Heres hoping that you can make it without being fired, but if the worst were to happen, these lessons from Abramson will help you learn from it and move on to your next big thing.Dig DeepOne woman in the audience asked Abramson for a play-by-play of the day she was fired. She describes walking out of the Times building that day in somewhat of a daze, then stopping and asking herself how she really felt. When she thought about it, she wasnt sad, she wasnt angry- she was actually incredibly relieved. She had been working in a newsroom for decades, and realized this was actually an incredible opportunity to think about what she really wanted to do next. This might not be your situation- you might be sad, angry, or scared, and thats 100% OK (and expected). But most of the time, feelings are complicated. And if you can stop, think, and identify the intricacies of what youre feeling, you may find something deep down that will help you move forward in a positive way. Recognize Your WeaknessesAbramson shared that her core strength was writing and reporting- and that m anaging others had never been her strong suit. She admitted that she was often demanding and impatient with staffers, noting that the two are not a great combo, and that her management style had contributed in part to her departure. It was honestly refreshing to hear someone so openly, calmly, and non-defensively talk about her shortcomings. We all have them, and only by recognizing what they are can we figure out how to work on them or move past them (or, well, look for roles that better utilize our strengths). Dont Harbor ResentmentWhen asked how she fills her time now, Abramson mentioned that she still reads the New York Times every day. In fact, she still loves and admires the publication and had nothing but good to say about the distribution policy she ran for three years. Id imagine that being fired would make you want to burn the place down, la Milton in Office Space, but staying positive (or at least neutral) is a much better look- especially when you start talking to new p otential employers. Remember that no matter what happened, the place youre leaving is a part of your history. There was a reason you were there. You contributed to it in some way. And you likely still have colleagues and perhaps even friends there. Being negative about it will hurt no one but you.Dont Be AshamedAbramson has made it clear that shes not ashamed of being fired. I was in fact insistent that that be publicly clear because I was not ashamed of that, she said in an interview for Cosmopolitan, her first time opening up to the media since her departure. Especially in this economy people are fired right and left for arbitrary reasons, and there are sometimes forces beyond your control.You cant change the fact that youve been fired, but you can change what happens next. Theres arguably no other job like the top post at The New York Times. But instead of letting that frustrate her, Abramson has forged a completely new path- teaching at Harvard, doing political reporting, and co -founding a startup. Shes reinventing herself in an incredible way- and thats nothing to be ashamed of. I know, a lot of this is easier said than done, especially if youre really, really missing that paycheck. So, if youre struggling, see if you can find someone whos gone through the experience, too. As I learned, there are more out there than youd imagine. And for more on recovering from being fired, job search expert Jenny Foss has some great tips for owning your story and explaining what happened to interviewers. Hang in there. Abramsons future is bright- and yours is, too. Photo courtesy of Jan Goldstoff.