True or False: In order to have a great company culture, you should provide your undivided attention every time an employee knocks on your door (integrity of an open door policy.)
Answer: Depends on the following answer: How often do you get knocks on your door?
If you’re like most leaders, constant interruptions drive you crazy. And as the leader, it really is ideal that you have your sanity, as well as time to think and act strategically. You can’t afford to constantly be interrupted. And yet having an open door policy that encourages openness and transparency is still a good idea. So how to achieve both?
One CEO has mitigated this challenge with flying colors. Instead of having his employees come to him, he goes to his employees. Every day. That’s right, every morning he does 6 walk around meetings of 15-20 minutes for each his 6 departments. And in each of those departments there is a communication board. And on that communication board are the items to be reviewed in the daily meeting:
•Current Projects
•Performance Metrics (Hitting? If not hitting, why?)
•New Ideas (to review, discuss and decide)
Almost every issue that arises in the day can wait until the following morning to be addressed and can be listed up on the communication board. If it can’t wait a day, then the employees seek his attention and he provides his undivided attention. He has a pulse on the entire company and he has time to focus on strategic activities.
More on when employees do come knocking: Listen to Their Crumbs
Photo Credit: http://pinterest.com/pin/121597258659380105/
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