We all can recognize obvious barriers, like road closed signs, caution tape, etc. However, do we realize we can create barriers between ourselves and others by the way we dress, they way we talk and even the way we react to them?
I have been around manufacturing management for over 40 years. I have found if you want to be able to communicate with the workforce, you need to think about how they perceive you. If you are seen as “above their station in life”, they will be guarded and you will not be able to have an open conversation with them and determine the knowledge they can bring to your team to solve problems, make improvements, etc.
A good example would be wearing a tie on the manufacturing shop floor. What does that tie “say” to the machine operator? Does it create a sense of team or does it become a barrier? Does the employee feel free to talk openly to you or are they guarded because of what you might think or do if they have an opinion contrary to current direction?
Clothes are a more obvious barrier, but even your lack of awareness of the individual employee and how they are feeling at that moment can create a barrier. I have learned to make sure I get a sense how everyone in my sphere of influence is acting on a given day. I call this observation “the smile-o-meter”. Every person has their “normal” look. If you are aware of their “normal”, and they look different today, you can approach them to determine if something is bothering them. Often it is not a work situation, but an employee dealing with a personal issue can be distracted and not as productive as normal. I have found when they think a management person cares about them as an individual, they find it easier to let their issue go while they are working.
Perceived busyness is a major barrier. If your actions give people the sense that you are very busy and don’t want to be bothered with their concerns, you have just told that employee they are not as important as you are. There situation or question is not valued at this time. A leader must appear to always be available, even when they are truly overloaded. It only takes a minute to let the employee know that you have an urgent need to care for but will be back as soon as you can to talk with them. If you tell them that, be sure to follow through.
I believe the biggest problem is most leaders see themselves as “just part of the team” while their employees see them as the boss. When you have the authority to discipline or terminate an employee, they will approach you differently than you would want them. The leader must be easy to talk to and always valuing others’ ideas.
It is the leaders job to remove the barriers in the workplace without giving up authority, to be friendly without needing to be their friend, to guide them without being a dictator. Think about the best boss you ever had. Were they easy to approach or always too busy for you?
Being the “boss” doesn’t make you a leader. A leader has followers by definition. Are people following you or just doing what you say out of fear of reprisal? Remove the barriers and watch your team react positively.
Christian Life Coach 