Leaders, Do You Have an Open-Door Policy? You May Want to Reconsider.

Do you have an open-door policy? Do you make sure that your team members can walk into your office whenever they need to talk to you? Ping you when needed? That you are open to hear their concerns, their needs and are always willing to support them?

Well, if that’s the case, you may want to reconsider.

Because people don’t. They don’t come to you and tell you what’s bothering them. People don’t just step in or send you a message and share what’s on their mind with you. At least, many don’t. And chances are, you’re not hearing some of your most valuable resources. Their ideas, their concerns, their best intelligence may just not be accessible to you. You might also not realize that a team member is not speaking up until they’re burned out or disconnected from their work.

In times where remote work has become an even more important reality and these screens are holding us apart, communication is more vital than ever to the success and well-being of your team.

The workplace is dominated by a huge workload, incredible speed, and a constant sense of urgency. Everyone has too much on their plate. Your team may feel energized at times, but also tired and exhausted at others. Your team’s morale may be affected. And you might be considering a fun team-building event to boost morale.

I hear more and more from leaders, talking about checking in with their team members, but also about the relationship with their bosses, that having an open door is actually not that easy. Here’s why:

• People are busy. Leaders feel there’s not enough time for developmental conversations.
• It’s difficult to find the time to check in with the manager, as these meetings are the first to be cancelled in the event of a client emergency.
• Especially in the remote environment, there is a high risk of interactions being transactional. When we talk business only to our people, we risk missing important clues.
• Some team members may also feel like they don’t want to disturb their busy manager. That’s why they don’t ask for the necessary help and support (especially in a success-driven environment where “getting things done” is expected from us).

I myself have spoken in the past about having an open-door policy with my team members. And I think there’s an opportunity for us to question what we mean by that.

Do we take the time to approach people? Do our employees dare to ask for a conversation? What signals could we be sending that we are not sensitive to? What do we NOT see?

But, and this is good news, I also hear more and more often from leaders that they take the time for interpersonal relationships:

• “I am working harder on creating connections with my team. People are looking for that. Even though it costs me a lot of extra effort, I see how much my team appreciates the fact that I care.”
• “There are a lot of people on my team who aren’t vocal. So I know I won’t hear from them in a remote meeting. I adapt to their style, making sure to check in with them before and after.”

Leaders who talk about an open-door policy do so with good intentions. And many of them truly care, so this statement comes from a good place. Although I must admit that I have also seen leaders use this word in hopes of not being too bothered by “people stuff”.

Here’s what you should do instead of reinforcing an open-door policy: Reach out to people. Proactively. Ask them how they are. And be genuinely curious. Sit next to them. In THEIR work environment, not in your office, where the level of stress can already rise as soon as they walk through the door. Look for informal moments to connect — especially when working remotely. Take advantage of those coffee breaks, take time to walk around, and yes, why not take a walk with some of your team members during lunch break. And above all: ask questions! Ask them about their struggles, their energy levels, what excites them about in their work, but also what’s going on in their personal lives. Knowing your people nurtures relationships. A positive work culture increases workplace efficiency[1] and a growing body of evidence reminds us, that social capital is related to organizational performance[2].

Harvard Business School professor Dr. Amy Edmondson, uses the term “psychological safety” and defines it as “a climate in which people are comfortable being (and expressing) themselves.”[3]. Organizations also recognize the need to create a safe environment in which people can express themselves. Google, for example, has conducted internal research, concluding that psychological safety is one of the “five key dynamics that set successful teams apart from other teams”.[4] Gallup’s Q12 Engagement survey[5] shows, that statements such as “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.”, “There is someone at work who encourages my development.”, and “At work, my opinions seem to count.” have a huge impact on employee engagement. Further evidence shows how team performance[6], talent retention and overall well-being[7] depend on employees feeling safe to share, speak up, be heard and be recognized for their contributions.

Personally, I think an important step for leaders is to hold ourselves accountable. And to think about first small concrete steps we can put in place today.

Sir Richard Branson says:

“Take care of your team and they’ill take care of your business.”[8]

Team members feel the need to talk to their leaders. It is encouraging to see workplace leaders focusing on the importance of interpersonal relationships, support, and empowerment. I hear more and more from leaders who recognize the importance of sticking to these schedules with their team members — some of whom reporting that they’ve learnt this the hard way.

But there’s more to do. For each of us.

So if you think your team’s engagement could be higher because you might expect better results, why not start by asking yourself a few questions:

• Who on my team am I not hearing enough?
• What questions can help me understand what is really going on with a team member?
• What distracts me from truly listening and being present in a conversation?
• Do I stick to scheduled meetings with my team members, or do I postpone them and therefore deprioritize those meetings?

A leader recently shared that since implementing this proactive approach, the positive side effect is that people feel like their door is open. So rather than talking about an open-door policy, being proactive actually opens doors.

I work with an average of 30 leaders from different industries per week. Through group coaching, co-development, team development and individual coaching sessions. What I share is based on this collective intelligence that I am honored to have access to.