Every manager I have ever had has told me that they have an open door policy. Sometimes they share this during the interview process and other times on the first day of work- theirs or mine. Some share the good news as often as they are able, evangelical leaders spreading the gospel of their accessibility and care. The problem with this, as with too many other good intentions, is that it always falls flat. When it does, this creates disappointment and frustration on the part of both the manager and those they have falsely but initially convincingly promised they would help, anytime, anywhere about anything. It’s only partially their fault, though, because open door policies just don’t work. Here are some reasons why:
Problem #1 With Your Open Door Policy- TOO MANY INTERRUPTIONS
For starters, it is difficult to get anything done if you have created a system where people can interrupt you at any time for any reason. Several companies have conducted their own research on the matter, but perhaps the most commonly cited study comes out of UC Irvine. This study found that on average, workers were interrupted every 11 minutes and that it took just over 23 minutes for them to get back into the flow of their work after each interruption.
Think about your day. How many times does your office phone ring? How many email notifications pop up on your screen? How many knocks do you get on your door? How many times does your cell phone alert you to a notification? How often throughout your day is your attention taken away from your task at hand? And how long does it take you to get back at it? Perhaps your numbers are less dire than those found in the Irvine study. Perhaps they are more…
Problem #2 With Your Open Door Policy- NOT ENOUGH FLOW
Secondly, there is an optimal state of working that we often refer to as flow. Others call it The Zone or simply refer to it as being hyper-focused. Whatever you call it, your mission should be to find it, and hold on to it as tightly as you possibly can. People do their best work when they are in a flow state, because they are hyper-focused and free of interruptions. These are the moments when you lose track of time and allow yourself to delve deeper into your thinking and your assignments. You not only get more work done during these states, but you get better work done. Significantly so, according to McKinsey, who found that we are five times more productive when we are in a flow state.
Have you ever worked from home or in a coffee shop for the day and found that you got more done in a couple of hours than you normally do all day in your office? That’s flow. By eliminating the frequency and duration of interruptions, you have given yourself space to get some real work done, which, unfortunately, doesn’t happen nearly enough in today’s workplace.
Problem #3 With Your Open Door Policy- TOO MUCH ENABLING
When you offer or even encourage your team to come to you anytime about anything, many of them will take you up on your offer. This will invariably create a self-enforcing situation in which your staff comes to you for approval, advice or feedback without developing their ability to learn and grow on their own. By creating an open door culture, you are depriving your staff of the opportunity to figure things out on their own and troubleshoot without you, which should be your aim. Your role as a leader is to develop your team into strong, confident professionals who know what is expected of them and who are given everything they need to meet those expectations. They should be given the freedom and trust to work on their own and only come to you as needed. Of course, even the most independent and resourceful members of your team will seek your advice and feedback from time to time. As they should. And you should most certainly be available to them when this happens. But not all the time.
Problem #4 With Your Open Door Policy- NOT ENOUGH TRUST
Almost no one can live up to the promise of being accessible all the time so implementing an open door policy is almost always destined to fail, and the repercussions are great. If you tell your staff that you have an open door policy, and they come to you only to be met with rejection, exasperation or even annoyance, that staff will have received the message loud and clear- the open door policy is in name only. And the next time they need to come to you, they won’t because they don’t want to be perceived as a bother or a frustration for you. In many cases they will take it to the extreme- you said you were available all the time and you’re not, so I’m not going to come to you any of the time. Disaster.
MAKING THE SHIFT FROM OPEN DOOR POLICY TO OFFICE HOURS
Instead of implementing an open door policy that is both unattainable and potentially harmful, it is time that you do as the professors do and establish open office hours. This will benefit both you and your team in several ways.
Benefit #1 of Your Open Office Hours- MORE TIME
By offering less of your time to your team, you are actually creating more of it. When you establish times throughout the day when you are not to be interrupted, you allow yourself the opportunity to get more work done so that when your staff do need to speak with you, you are able to dedicate the time and energy they deserve. Making your open office hours a priority will help you keep that time for its intended purpose. This can help motivate and focus you to get done what you need to get done so that you can be as available and helpful to your team as possible.
Benefit #2 of Your Open Office Hours- MORE EFFICIENCY
When staff know that they can only come to you during certain parts of the day, it forces them to plan their questions and conversations with you more strategically. If they know they can only access you at certain times, they will need to work accordingly. In many cases, they will be able to answer their own question or solve their own problem, perhaps by seeking help from others, thus freeing up more of your time while building relationships and camaraderie on your team. Additionally, it forces you to make sure you keep your word and clear the time you have promised to your team, motivating and focusing you to get done what needs to get done in order to be fully available to your team.
Benefit #3 of Your Open Office Hours- MORE TRUST
If you are going to keep office hours, you must, of course, keep them. Guard them like you do any other meeting or commitment and do not schedule over them. Keep your word that you will be available when you say you will be available. If something unavoidable comes up, let your staff know with as much notice as possible and shift those hours elsewhere so your staff still has access to you when needed. Show your staff that you follow through and can be trusted. Communicate and always keep your promises.
Benefit #4 of Your Open Office Hours- MORE MODELING
Creating dedicated space to get your work done and establishing boundaries around your time are great skills and values to model for your team. By setting this example, you are encouraging your staff to establish their own boundaries and have opportunities to create their own work flow. Just as you are managing your time, provide opportunities for your staff to do the same. When possible, offer alternative spaces for them to work so they can maximize their flow time. Don’t interrupt them during their closed door times. Create a culture on your team that respects everyone’s time, work and needs. Give people the freedom to work in the way that best helps them shine.
When you make the shift from an open door policy to office hours, there will be several factors you will need to take into consideration:
- How frequently should you have office hours?
- In what emergency cases should your staff reach out to you outside of office hours?
- How will you share the reason, importance and benefit of making this shift to your team and to the greater organization?
- How can you make the most of open office hour time for both you and your team?
- How will you involve your team in the shift so they feel invested and a true part of it?
Every office and every team are different so your individual situation will determine the answers to the questions above. You may need to try different things and ask yourself the questions several times before you come up with a system that works well for you and your team. Let your staff know it will be an adjustment and that there will almost certainly be challenges along the way. Don’t give up when the first challenges arise and encourage your team to stick with it as well. You will find that allowing yourself and your team the time they need to complete their work in an uninterrupted manner while having enough access to you when needed is a powerful and positive shift in the way you work. Let me know how it goes…
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