Okay. So we all know how this goes. In an attempt to extend the olive branch and promote open communication, a manager throws out the phrase, ‘My door is always open.’
While I think we all agree that the saying comes from a good place, in many cases it sends us down the road of ambiguity. For example, is this phrase to be taken literally or figuratively? If the door is closed, can a person interrupt? How about if the door is open, but you appear to be hard at work? Or, my personal favourite, what if the door is halfway open? How is it that something so simple, can become so overly complex?
I decided to modify the approach and call it Open Door Policy 2.0. Warning, it’s not for the faint of heart. Here’s how it works. If the door is literally open, it’s fair game for staff to come into my office and engage in conversation. It sounds simple, but it takes deliberate intent to make it work. To best illustrate, let me say it in another way. I can be hard at work answering emails or preparing for a meeting. However, if I’ve left that door open, I’m giving my staff full license to interrupt, make them selves at home and immediately start sharing thoughts as needed.
I know, it sounds crazy. But here’s the upside. It makes you hypersensitive to the status of your door. Understandably, there are times when you just need to get into the zone and do some serious work. However, by having your door open more often than not, you’re consciously giving your commitment to staff in a very fundamental way.
Open Door Policy 2.0 may require a philosophical shift in leadership style. And as such, there are several factors worth considering.
At first, staff will feel guilty interrupting you and will look for any indicator to abandon the mission. It’s important that you place your work aside, let calls go to voicemail and avoid peaking at those emails.
You must openly use every opportunity to communicate Open Door Policy 2.0. This is not Field of Dreams. Just because you build the policy, doesn’t mean that they’ll automatically come.
This approach is not for the faint of heart (as mentioned earlier). It takes real investment of your time that at first might seem inefficient. But soon, you’ll find that staff also become more respectful of your time as a result. Giving your people great power, also means you equipped them with great responsibility. Sound familiar?
Once you add this approach to your leadership toolbox, you’ll never go back. Open the door. Open the possibilities.
