Great
managers are always accessible to their employees, right? Not necessarily.
Certainly
employees need to feel that they can talk openly with and trust their managers
or supervisors. Employees should expect to have regular one-on-one meetings to
air concerns. But do employees have the right to demand the manager’s attention
whenever it suits them?
New supervisor and new manager training programs often err in the direction of teaching participants to be available on the employees’ terms. Yet, as managers, they have many other responsibilities. Employee
“handholding” is only one of many roles.
If
you are new to management, you need to prioritize and use your time wisely. It
is important to keep up your own work. Why not try setting aside an hour a day
when your door is open and employees are welcome? This way you keep in touch
with what your team is thinking and doing without being hostage to others’ time
schedules.
