published by the Nashville Business Journal
An open office door says you’re open to communication. A closed door suggests you’re closed off from the company conversation.
The question is, are you comfortable with people walking in to talk at any time? Do you need to hold “office hours”? As a leader it can be challenging to decide how to handle your open-door policy. But no matter how and when you do it, keeping your door open keeps the lines of communication open and makes you a more transparent, and therefore effective, leader.
The key is to commit to really receiving and listening to your visitors. It would be easy to stay parked behind your desk where you could see “urgent” emails popping up or paperwork that needs attention. But these distractions detract from the point of an open door in the first place. Instead, make your in-office moments matter. Turn off your phone, silence the sounds from your terminal and sit down in front of your desk to ensure an uninterrupted conversation.
Making dedicated time to listen is a key component of effective leadership. Good listeners earn respect from peers, subordinates and bosses. Plus, in most businesses the better you listen, the more you’ll learn, which can help you make smarter decisions and provide the best direction for your business unit. Effective listening includes taking notes, asking questions and then drilling down and following up on key topics. Equally it requires being open to all feedback.
Keeping an open door also means you can walk out of it. It might be a new concept, but try walking the halls at your business. You never know who you will meet and what you might learn. During my regular hall walks at Tractor Supply, it was not unusual to see and touch new products, learn about a sick relative and hear a success story about customer service.
Similarly, I spent half of my workweeks in stores and distribution centers listening and learning about every aspect of the business. I absorbed interesting information about stock levels: everything from critical replenishment issues to products our team thought we should carry. I also learned about product quality, packaging, assembly instructions and missing parts, plus operating processes that could be improved and even paperwork that could be simplified or eliminated.
There is no limit to what you can learn by walking with and listening to those who are doing the work on front lines.
Listening, like any other skill, improves with time, effort and concentration. We can all develop our listening skills, and it starts with an open door. What better time than on the brink of a new year to set specific goals for becoming a better listener — and leader — in 2015?
