I know too many managers who sit in their offices doing paperwork, expecting (but not hoping) that people bring questions to them. From my experience as an HR manager, people tend to think of management offices as something akin to the principal’s office from their schooldays. Rule #1 for all managers is to spend more than half their time out of their offices, walking around, getting to know their employees and the work they do, and cementing the impression they are approachable. Rule #2 is to make sure that they answer every inquiry, establishing an environment where employees know they can ask whatever’s on their minds. They’ll naturally be wary, and often subjected to ridicule by co-workers, but you must keep walking until those two obstacles are removed. Even if initial comments and questions are meaningless or perfunctory. Because the dumbest question is the one never asked, and while those who do ask may be a fool for a minute, those who don’t remain a fool forever. Effective managers create and maintain a dialogue with their employees and establish the kind of rapport that creates two-way trust and respect. Then employees begin to act like colleagues and collaborators rather than merely direct reports on an organizational chart. Then they become actively engaged in the success of your business. That’s when your work and theirs becomes fun. Everyday. Start that process today.
pro·verb
/ˈpräˌvərb/
1. A proverb is a short, well-known saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice, often based on common sense or experience. They are typically metaphorical and part of a culture's oral tradition.
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