Here’s another oldie—great for the talk, much harder to walk. An Open-Door Policy is a key infrastructure to many cultural features, such as no surprises, pragmatism, manager vigilance (MAP Action 1) and especially open communications.

Through its many incarnations its meaning has expanded and changed based on the current definition of the word “open.” Open is much more inclusive in 2006 then it was in 1968 or even 1998.

Simply stated, it means that any employee can approach any manager at any level at any time and discuss any subject in confidence and without prejudice. They can ask a question, lodge a complaint, voice a concern, or present a problem knowing that any form of retribution is absolutely forbidden.

What happens then depends on the employee’s preference:

• If an employee allows the use of her name and the subject broached then the manager has one week to investigate and report back to the employee as to the measures taken for resolution.
• If an employee specifies that his name and the complaint remain confidential, then the manager should point out that without the ability to mention either, her response is limited to advice only,
• except when the information is extremely sensitive, such as alleged criminal activity, unethical practices, etc.

This type of information requires careful investigation and verification of the allegations before any disclosure. It is imperative that the investigation be kept private and off the company grapevine for as long as possible.

• If the allegations are true, then the privacy is needed to investigate properly.
  
• If they are unfounded or turn out to have a malicious basis, they could permanently damage reputations and invite lawsuits.

The upside of an open-door policy is that it can make an enormous difference in keeping the company on track and moral is higher. Problems surface earlier while they are small and more easily solved; disagreements aren’t left to fester; and trust grows at Net speed.

The downside is that a well functioning open-door policy is totally dependent on the managers. It’s difficult enough when a manager doesn’t “buy into” the program, but it is far worse when a manager violates the trust—whether through active intent, or benign ignorance.

Achieving buy-in is the responsibility of “the boss,” whether CEO, department head, or business owner, as is enforcement and discipline if it is subverted. An open-door policy is one of those things that only works when actively supported from the top.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 22nd, 2006 at 11:20 am and is filed under Business info, Communication, Culture, Hiring, Motivation, Retention. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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