approach

approach (one) about

To ask someone something, often in a cautious way. When is the best time to approach the boss about taking a leave of absence? I can't propose yet, I still have to approach Julie's dad about it. Have the producers approached you about taking the role yet?
See also: approach

carrot-and-stick

A motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment system to encourage improved performance or behavior. Often hyphenated and used as a modifier before a noun. Companies are slowly learning that the carrot-and-stick approach to management is ineffective—employees are much more motivated to do a better job when they are recognized for their hard work.

kitchen-sink approach

An approach to something that involves many different things, often to the point of excess or redundancy. An allusion to the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink," meaning nearly everything one can reasonably imagine. If this launch fails, we'll go bankrupt, so we need to take a kitchen-sink approach when we troubleshoot the app before it goes live. The politician has taken a kitchen-sink approach to her election campaign, promising to fix every political issue under the sun.
See also: approach

rifle approach

In business, a marketing strategy in which a very narrow, focused, or selective group, demographic, or population is targeted or advertised to. Our competitors have been drawing away a large proportion of the market share of teenaged customers, so our next marketing campaign is going to have a rifle approach to get them back.
See also: approach, rifle

seagull approach

business slang A management style or approach in which the manager only becomes involved in a matter when a problem is perceived to have arisen, especially when they have little other knowledge about said matter and only cause more problems as a result of their involvement. I'm sick of this new boss's seagull approach. If he would just let us get on with our work instead of swooping in every time there's a hiccup, we'd nearly be finished by now!
See also: approach, seagull

shotgun approach

In business, a marketing strategy in which a wide and nonselective population or demographic is reached or advertised to. We don't yet have much brand recognition in the market, so we're going with a shotgun approach to reach as many potential customers as we can.
See also: approach, shotgun

softly, softly approach

A calm and thoughtful method for dealing with a problem. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. When dealing with unmotivated teens, the softly, softly approach doesn't always work—sometimes you have to do something to get their attention. Many parents use the softly, softly approach when trying to calm their toddlers' tantrums.
See also: approach, softly

softly-softly approach

An approach that is cautious, tentative, gradual, and careful, especially to an overbearing degree. (Also written "softly, softly.") I just wish his parents didn't always take the softly-softly approach with him. The kid needs to learn how to be a bit more brazen and independent! I think we should use the softly, softly approach at this stage in development.
See also: approach
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

approach someone about someone or something

to ask someone about someone or something, usually with tact and caution. Wally has been acting strangely. I will approach Judy about him. She approached Tom about the broken window.
See also: approach
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

a/the softly-ˈsoftly approach

(British English, informal) a/the gentle, patient and careful way of doing something, especially when dealing with people: The police are now trying a more softly-softly approach with football hooligans. OPPOSITE: like a bull in a china shop
See also: approach
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

band-aid approach/solution

A stopgap measure, a temporary expedient. This term applies the trade name for a small bandage, the Band-Aid, patented in 1924, to approaching or solving an issue in a makeshift way. It dates from the late 1960s and is approaching cliché status.
See also: approach, solution
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • approach (one) about
  • approach about
  • beware of
  • beware of (someone or something)
  • offer (something) for (something)
  • offer for
  • offering
  • throw (something) in(to) the pot
  • propose a toast
  • propose to
References in periodicals archive
The standards for DH are not specified in tolerances but the pilot must "immediately initiate the missed approach ..." This means that the regulations allow the airplane to descend below DA during the miss.
FINDING NON-PRECISION
She describes teacher-centered focus as a less sophisticated approach of teaching than learner-centered focus and on that is therefore likely to produce low-quality learning results amongst students.
A Study of University Teachers' Approaches to Teaching at Undergraduate Level in Punjab, Pakistan
The way students approach their learning plays an important role in determining the outcome or consequences of any educational endeavor22.
LEARNING APPROACHES OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN A CASE-BASED LEARNING CURRICULUM IN PRE-CLINICAL YEARS
Methods: The patients admitted at our institution and undergoing percutaneous coronary angiography and interventional procedures by left or right radial approach between November 2013 and July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed.
Comparison of right and left trans-radial catheterization for coronary angiography and intervention in patients with Acute myocardial infarction
Since such an approach will be completed at a relatively long runway, the landing configuration should be set up at the final approach fix (FAF).
When to flap
As it began to get dark, the student did the first PAR to a missed approach for training.
Shoot the approach
Peng (1989) experimentally compared self-directed learning with a traditional curriculum approach in a three year study.
Self-directed learning versus lecture in medicine
In recent years, the ENM approach has seen several prototype applications to disease transmission systems by public health and epidemiology specialists who have been willing to explore novel ideas and approaches.
Ecologic niche modeling and spatial patterns of disease transmission
Finding job opportunities takes a disciplined approach using strategies that are proven to work.
Get hired now! A 28-day program for landing the job you want
* A PFP-niche business plan should contain a mission statement, positioning statement, value proposition, investment approach, competitive advantage(s), implementation resources, implementation steps and financial projections.
First form a plan: keep your goals and strategy up front to help focus marketing and development efforts
The net asset approach bases the value of the metalcasting facility on the value of its tangible assets minus its liabilities (net assets).
What's your company worth?
Defeating the North Vietnamese integrated air defense system was addressed through a multi-phase approach that involved developing a dedicated EW aircraft (the EA-6A and later EA-6B), developing tactics, techniques, and procedures at Naval Fighter Weapons School (Topgun) schoolhouse, and commodity-based development of EW systems in PMA253.
The commodity approach to aircraft protection systems
This approach leads to a nearly constant flood of memos and meetings that sound as if something new is constantly being hawked again and again and again.
Cascading improvements in communication: adopting a new approach to organizational communication
The LEED Rating System, although useful as a guideline for environmentally responsible design, is more a checklist of individual items than a true design approach. But what if the architectural industry looked beyond the checklist approach to focus on creating structures that contribute in a more active way to a building's greenness?
Green Buildings--going beyond the checklist
You treat gay men who engage in very risky sexual behavior, yet you advocate an approach that is free of what you call "sex-negativity." Is this a place you arrived at in writing the book?
Michael Shernoff