If teammates have to check your mood before asking a question, you’ve become the obstacle.

Unpredictability makes people spend energy managing you instead of doing the work. When asking a question depends on how you seem today, the slow or awkward questions simply do not get asked, which means you hear about problems last. You were trying to be approachable and became a weather condition.

Make your reaction to questions boringly consistent, especially on bad days. If you are in a foul mood, say so out loud so nobody has to guess. Thank the person who interrupted you with something you needed to know.