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The Door to My Office is Always Open, or is it?

Open Door Policy

How Do You Get the Real Story?

A recent discussion on tapping knowledge resources led me to consider what works and what doesn’t. I recall my first exposure to the concept of an executive open door policy. It was a comedy album that my parents used to enjoy….

“The door to my office is always open. I think you all know why its open. It was also stolen. I’d like that returned too.”    – Bob Newhart in the role of a departing submarine captain addressing his crew, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart

Open Door PolicyThe physical state of your office door is less significant than your mindset for seeking insight from your stakeholders. They include anyone impacted by the success of your organization and those who can hold valuable insight into what’s really going on.

When you’re spending most of your time working in your business rather than on your business, you’re likely creating unspoken barriers to both seeking and receiving information from those with the real story about your operation and your marketplace.

Truth vs. Candor

While information is shared, you should always be aware of the difference between truth and candor.  All too often, people are truthful without being forthcoming enough for you to learn the real story.

Beyond the Open Door

The open door policy is a reactive approach to seeking information. Tom Peters’ 1982 best seller, In Search of Excellence, Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies, suggested a more proactive approach to seeking stakeholder insight. He used the acronym, MBWA: Management By Wandering Around. He discussed the value of getting out from behind your desk and into the field or on to shop floor and meeting with customers, vendors and employees.

While Bob Newhart and Tom Peters are dated references, is the need to understand our stakeholders’ needs, capabilities and challenges any less relevant today?

 Open Door Policy: How Do You Rate?

  • How approachable are you, really? Are you getting the candid feedback you need?
  • How proactive are you in seeking the real story: not only what is happening, but why?
  • When is the last time you took a stakeholder to lunch? How frequently should you be doing so?
  • How much proactive wandering have you done in the past week? How might you improve?
  • Do you use a “My door is always open” mindset as an excuse for not proactively seeking the information you really need?

Your answers are out there. Just don’t expect them to come knocking on your door. Even if it’s open. In fact, in our world of excessive political correctness and cover-your-tail mindsets, all of your wandering around and open door invitations can still fail to deliver what’s really needed for effective decisions: candor. And how much wandering around time do you really have?

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