The Open-Door Policy Is A Myth. This Is My Perspective.
I am intrigued by the number of Business Management Best Practices out there. Some of those are proposed with the best intentions in theory. The same Best Practices are also a disaster in terms of implementation and practicality. This is my brush with one of them. It is known as the Open-Door Policy.
Doors are there for a reason. It allows us to get out if we want to and focus internally when we have to. Having a door and not using it for its intrinsic purpose is weird to me.
And sometimes, the utility of the tool gets challenged for its purpose of existence. Take, for instance, the mythical Open-Door Policy.
This is one Business Management Best Practice is designed for workplace efficiency, and it does so by waging war on the doors we have.
The intention of the Open-Door Policy is a good one. It gives everyone in the workplace an opportunity to get access to their leaders without discrimination.
If you have a great idea, chin up, walk in and pitch. It assures that your ideas are not filtered out by middle management for reasons not pertaining to the merit of the idea.
In theory, it supports a Decentralised Workplace design. I presume that it works best for any organization planning to move from a top-down structure to a flatter one, where ideas from the ground are heard without prejudice.
It is good …. Until we practice it.
And … have we paused to assess its practicality from the leader’s standpoint?
I have an interesting story to tell, where I learned much about the Open-Door Policy during a recent 2-Day Staycation within the country. It was a simple trip with a household of 4.
To ensure that there is ample space between my parents and my spouse, I booked 2 separate rooms with a door in between. It ensures the flow of human capital as needed.
It was a regretful decision, captured in my story below.
I was rather pleased with the working desk when I arrived. As weird as it sounds, it was the first room-space that I checked out.
While my family was there marveling at the sea view and grandiose of the room, I started placing my laptop and books on the working desk.
I sat on the chair, and I realized how well designed the working desk was. Chargers, sockets, writing tools, water cups and bottles, notepads, and stick-it notes were within reach. It was beautiful.
I thought something was missing, but I couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
It was 3 minutes of peace, and then it was shattered. Just as I was about to press the “Power On” button on my laptop, my Mum came over and asked me to help them unpack their luggage.
I did. And I went back to my desk an hour later.
As I was about to push the same button an hour ago, my spouse came to me and laid the room service menu wide-open on top of the laptop.
She asked what we should have for in-room service.
We discussed for an hour or so (actually, it was one-sided), and we finally decided on … Okay, I cannot recall.
Then, just as I thought that I could remove the obstacle (the menu) from my laptop, I was tasked to call and make the in-room dining request because the phone was on the working desk.
This was the exact point that I got annoyed.
I turned my head and started looking around. I was another phone just beside the television and sofa. Before I could open my mouth, my spouse said this to me.
“We are on vacation.”
It was like a Morse-code that I couldn’t decipher. What has a vacation got to do with the act of calling the Hotel Front Desk using another phone?
Just as I was about to make comments, my inner voice reminded me that my life would be in danger if I did. In that fraction of a split-second, I decided against my own initiative and did as I am told.
While I called, I thought that fighting back wastes more time. Getting it over and done with IS THE path of least resistance.
When I was finally done, and my spouse left feeling happy, I was already mentally exhausted. It stamps from working on things that didn’t really matter and unable to work on things that matter.
And just when I thought the coast is finally clear for me to press that wretched button again as I intended to 2 hours ago, my Dad stood beside me quietly.
And smiling.
It was then I finally figured what was missing. It was the door.
An Open-Door Policy Is A Policy. We Determine Their Practicality.
A policy becomes Best Practice when it works. Sometimes it does, often it does not.
This 2-day vacation taught me a lot about this policy, especially when I start reflecting on it. In fact, I think the reverse is necessary, especially when we are out there to do great work.
Why?
Because doing great work requires time, commitment, peace, and a state of Flow.
We cannot get there without our doors in place, working in the way they are meant to.
Learn to love our doors.
They increase our productivity by giving us space for focus.
Doors Are Brilliant. Use Them!
Aldric
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About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.
Because simplicity adds value.
And with clarity — We grow.
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