How many of you have heard your boss say that? How many of you have said it yourself?
It is a sad fact that even those that work in an open-plan office may have their doors firmly SHUT despite the stated promotion of being accessible!
Most senior leaders have a diverse range of challenges on their plates every day, but the best leaders will still create time for their people.
A colleague of mine relayed a story that really demonstrated the power of being accessible, or in his manager's case, not!
Juan joined a manufacturing business as a Production Manager in charge of around 30 people. The welcoming words from Jack, his new boss was “My door is always open to you, and everyone in the factory!”
It did not take too long for Juan to realise what this meant and how much damage this invitation was doing to the business.
Jack encouraged the workforce to visit him and share their views on the ‘lie of the land’ without needing to leave his comfortable corner office. As a consequence, he was exposed to a jigsaw of biased and distorted views from those that frequented his office. This formed his world view of the business and he would address his management team in the firm belief that this was reality. It was far from it.
Over time, Juan noticed Bob (a troublemaker and opinion leader) was a frequent visitor to Jacks office.
Later, Juan addressed the issue with Jack who advised that “Bob tells me everything, he’s the best guy out there!”
It became apparent that Bob, and four others like him, had figured out the key to personal immunity and the ‘inside track’ to the Big-Boss. Consequently, they wielded significant power that built mistrust, accusations of favouritism and a culture of under-achievement.
So, what did Juan do?
He opened his door and addressed the concerns of his workforce. In addition to his regular factory walks, he made a scheduled a full hour each day for his people. He treated everyone equally. He separated real and perceived issues. He got things done!
Results improved significantly and after 6 months, Juan was called into Jack’s office.
“Why does nobody come to see me anymore?” lamented Jack.
Stumped for an answer, Juan indicated that he too had an open-door policy, but he rarely needed to see people now either. But when he was needed, he would make the time.
Sadly, there was no happy ending for Juan. Despite the improvement in morale and results, Jack used his positional power to break Juan down until he chose to leave.
So what is the point here?
- An open-door policy can build both trust and mistrust depending on how the manager decides to use this valuable time.
- If you have an open-door policy, ensure that you allocate adequate time each day to engage in meaningful conversation.
- If the flow of people through your door reduces and results get worse, you might want to rethink your strategy. But if results improve, then perhaps your policy is working.
- Go on the Gemba Walk!. It is one thing having a comfy desk and an open door, but there is no substitute for walking the floor and talking with your people.
At a recent workshop on ‘High Performing Teams,’ a senior leader of a large Power Station shared with me the fact that he went to see his people every day. By knowing his people and providing the time, this leader had created full accessibility. His site’s absenteeism, morale, and retention rates were all industry-leading.
So, ask yourself the question, your door may be open, but are you accessible?
David Newland; QLD Operations Manager
Related content: Burden of leadership
