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FEATURE
Brian de Haaff explains why true
transparency requires more than merely
telling employees your door is always open
Why your
open-door policy
is a joke
THE BIG BOSS strolls into the big corner
office. "Remember, my door is always open,"
she calls out to the team. If this sounds like
the start of a bad joke, that's because in a way
it is. Open-door policies are usually empty
gestures. If you have to tell people that you're
open and accessible, then it's probably not
true. And you have a transparency problem.
The so-called open-door policy is a corporate
cliché — a relic that should be left in the past.
Of course, there are times when the
intention behind the cliché is sincere. But the
issue is that few team members will actually
take advantage of that open door. If you're a
leader in title or action, you must be the one
who steps up and engages.
There's no substitute for proactive
engagement. A Gallup survey revealed that
when managers don't regularly meet with
employees, only 15% of their employees feel
engaged. Managers who regularly meet with
their employees almost tripled that level
If you have to tell people that you're open and
accessible, then it's probably not true. And you
have a transparency problem
of engagement.
Saying your door is open is a triviality. You
must make a real and sustained effort to
demonstrate transparency, accessibility and
collaboration. When you show (not tell)
people they can come to you at any time,
they believe it and act on it. Here's how the
best leaders foster openness and communi-
cation:
Share the plan
Most people want to know that their
day-to-day tasks and to-dos are
meaningful — directly contributing to the
overall success of the company. To make this
connection, everybody on the team needs to
understand the plan for achieving the
organization's higher vision. Strong leaders
openly share the plan. Doing so builds a sense
of belonging and transparency.
Give feedback
Scheduled one-on-one meetings are
great, but when something demands
