Open Door Delusion
Discover why an "Open Door Policy" often fails middle-market operators. Jonathan Parker explores how approachability impacts retention and operational efficiency in this edition of NxtPoint.
You tell everyone your door is always open. You pride yourself on being available. Yet, you keep getting blindsided by "sudden" problems that your managers saw coming months ago.
It is a trap.
An open door does not matter if the person behind it is perceived as a bottleneck or a judge. If your team feels they must "prepare" or "arm themselves" before speaking with you, they will simply stop coming. They will choose the path of least resistance. Usually, that path leads to a competitor.
Real leadership requires being approachable, not just available. It means moving from a life defined by your title to one defined by being conversational and sacrificial. You have to give up the right to be "too busy" if you want to know what is actually happening on your shop floor or in your sales meetings.
Your 2-Minute Audit: Next time an employee brings you a problem, check your physical response.
- Did you sigh or look at your watch?
- Did you start typing while they spoke?
- Did you interrupt to "fix" it before they finished?
If you did any of these, you just closed the door. Try this instead. Put your phone face down. Lean in. Ask, "What do you think the best move is?" Then, wait. The silence is where the truth lives.
Are your managers bringing you solutions, or are they just waiting for you to tell them what to do?
From the trail,
Jonathan