An open-door policy is easier said than done

[Christopher Thompson]

How many managers have you worked for or heard of who claimed to have the infamous "open-door policy"?

They say and encourage their employees to come to them with any and all issues, and they will always be open to listening and accepting what is being said without judgment. It's often said, but how often does it really happen?

I believe most managers have good intentions when it comes to creating an environment in which employees feel comfortable expressing concerns and discussing topics that are generally not the easiest to bring up. While most managers would agree open communication influences morale and overall performance, it's usually easier said than done.

But those who have management and direct reports as part of their role, don't get defensive just yet. There are two sides to the communication problems that exist between managers and their employees.

Generally speaking, I have found that most managers are challenged with listening to, receiving and responding constructively to feedback from employees they perceive to be negative or directed toward something the manager may be doing wrong. In other words, managers don't typically like their employees telling them what to do or even making suggestions on ways the manager can improve performance.

As I mentioned, there is also a common issue on the employee side, with most people feeling uncomfortable being open and honest with their managers. They fear they will be perceived as being negative or "going against the grain." And unfortunately, most people choose to remain silent instead of saying what is really on their mind.

In my earlier management career, I worked with an employee who perceived an upper-level manager to be unapproachable. He also felt that this particular manager had it out for him and was trying to manage him out of the company. The felling affected his attitude, and his performance was never what it could have been due to his negativity, fear and overall perception of this particular manager.

What's interesting about this example is the manager I am referring to also had perceptions of this particular employee that weren't exactly what you would call positive. He thought he was negative, lazy and wasn't a good influence on the team. While the perceptions the employee had of the manager and the manager had of the employee may have been valid and easily justified based on their behavior, there was one major problem that was overlooked.

Neither of them knew what the other was thinking, and both the manager and the employee had developed negative perceptions based on inaccurate assumptions they made and never discussed with the other.

This particular example is extremely common within every organization. Perceptions are developed based on assumptions people make of others, and the perceptions and true issues are never discussed by either person.

Lack of communication and the inability to communicate in a professional and productive manner is the root cause of countless performance and organizational issues and is something that I rarely see addressed and discussed.

Managers certainly own a piece of the problem. They have to be willing and able to listen to feedback, ideas and concerns without automatically assuming the employee is being negative and complaining for no reason. They have to put their initial reaction aside and listen openly before jumping to conclusions and reacting.

And those of us who report to a manager or someone in a leadership role have to be able to do the same. We have to be able to put aside the fear of backlash and communicate any and all concerns that may be negatively impacting our performance or the performance of the company.

High-performing teams and organizations typically have a very open and productive approach to communication, regardless of someone's role or title. Regardless of your role, it's critical to the performance of every organization to have an environment where everyone feels they are able to openly share ideas, feelings and perceptions regardless of what they may be.