Open Door Policy \u2013 Is it a Bad Idea?<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve observed the styles of many leaders and I find it interesting how we sometimes choose behaviors for all of the right reasons only to see them produce unintended consequences. One aspect of leadership that I have seen implemented in many different ways is the degree to which the leader allows herself\/himself to be available to others. On one end of the spectrum is the open door policy. On the other end is the \u2018never available\u2019 policy.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, I\u2019ve seen those who espouse an open door policy proclaim it with a strong sense of pride. While I wouldn\u2019t advocate \u2018never available\u2019, I\u2019m also not a fan of the door always being open. To borrow a line from a guy named Shakespeare, I come to bury the policy and not to praise it.<\/p>\n

However, I understand and respect the intent behind it and believe it warrants a deeper look. The intent behind the approach is to send a message that you are available to those who need you. It smacks of servant\/leader orientation. You prioritize the needs of others ahead of your own. You are focused on availability so that work can keep moving forward and ensuring that your inaccessibility does not cause others to stall.<\/p>\n

All of these sound admirable, right? Yes, but there is a cost. And that cost starts with your own productivity. As a leader of a team, you are most likely paid more than others. Why would you marginalize the productivity of the most expensive resource?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition, the open door policy sends a message that it is not ok for your\u00a0team to seek solitude to complete an important task. Basically, it is alright for them to interrupt each other for the betterment of what they need at that point in time. High performing teams have well-understood boundaries and the leader models behaviors that are expected of the team.<\/strong> How could the team feel good about seeking solitude if the leader does otherwise?<\/p>\n

The need for an open door policy may be a sign that there are more pervasive issues that you should address.<\/p>\n

Before establishing an open door policy, ask yourself the following questions.<\/h3>\n

\n
1. Are the conversations I have with my team members a good use of my time and theirs?<\/li>\n
2. Is the team empowered<\/em> to make decisions when qualified (or are you micro-managing)?<\/li>\n
3. Do they take responsibility<\/em> for making decisions within their scope of work?<\/li>\n
4. Does the team have confidence<\/em>?<\/li>\n
5. Is it acceptable for someone on your team to make a mistake?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   Here’s an alternative – approachability with boundaries. \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

   \n
   • Explain to others that there will be times when you prefer to not be bothered because of the nature of the work you do<\/li>\n
   • Find a visible way to indicate that you prefer solitude (closed door, sign, displaying some other symbol)<\/li>\n
   • Ensure them that you will only ask for solitude when it is necessary<\/li>\n
   • Explain that you trust their judgment to interrupt you when the timing of an issue necessitates it (important to do)<\/li>\n
   • Encourage them to adopt similar practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     Most of the points above are written for leaders but they can be easily adapted for individual contributors. Les Nessman, news director on the show WKRP in Cincinnati, taught us one way to establish boundaries using masking tape and an imaginary door. Don’t do that.<\/em><\/p>\n

     Instead, talk with your team members about what makes each of you most productive. Establish team expectations and provide honest feedback about what works best and what doesn’t. It will elevate the performance of the team and will also make you feel better about your own personal productivity.<\/p>\n

     \n

     If you don\u2019t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.<\/em><\/p>\n

     \u2013\u00a0David Allen<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

     I\u2019ve observed the styles of many leaders and I find it interesting how we sometimes choose behaviors for all of the right reasons only to see them produce unintended consequences. One aspect of leadership that I have seen implemented in many different ways is the degree to which the leader allows herself\/himself to be available to others. This article addresses the sometimes hidden costs of the Open Door Policy, five questions to identify the serious issues it may be helping to mask, and a suggested approach that achieves the underlying intent without the downside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,6,9],"tags":[42,39,38,16,43,40,41],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=689"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":692,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689\/revisions\/692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}