Leading with a Closed Door Policy …

Every leader should establish a clear “Closed Door Policy” with those they work with.

We’ve been told repeatedly that good leaders maintain open door policies, yet we’ve never been given a good rationale as to why. The result is that leaders are routinely interrupted whenever anyone wants to talk or has a question.

That doesn’t sound so bad, after all leaders need to be available. But too much availability hinders the productivity of the leader, reduces the problem-solving abilities and creativity of those working with the leader, and thus lessens the quality of everyone’s work.

A better course is to clearly establish and explain how a closed door policy works. The leader explains that more often than not, he or she works with the door open. And when the door is open, others are free to stop by with their questions or to seek whatever assistance is needed from the leader.

However, there are times when a leader will close his door. Sometimes the leader needs to have an uninterrupted period of time to focus on his own work. The door will be closed during this time. There are also times where more sensitive issues will be discussed, and the door will be closed during these times as well. When the door is closed, the leader should not be interrupted unless there is an urgent matter that must have his immediate attention. If it’s not urgent, it can wait until the leader makes him/herself available again.

A closed door policy helps the leader create the much needed focused time for his own work and is a means of encouraging others to be more effective and creative with their own problem-solving skills.

With such a policy clearly explained and understood by everyone, a leader can feel comfortable about occasionally closing the door and getting some work done!

Scotty