Adopt open door policy only if it suits your business

How deeply should a manager relate with his employees? I have tried maintaining an open-door policy with my team but I believe some are extending the handshake beyond the elbow and no longer work with my instructions.

Some of them have failed to draw the line between work and personal friendship. How can I handle my team so that the cordial relations stand but work gets done?

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The expert who is able to answer your question to your satisfaction is yet to be known to me. With the information you have given, any answer I give will be available to legitimate criticism by another expert in the field of management. Such is the nature of things in this field.

The Latin term reductio ad absurdum (argument to absurdity) comes to mind when answering your question.

If, for example, you are managing a group of fire fighters, the discretion available to you and your team in training and fire fighting is limited to the nature of the job you are tasked with. For this reason, and by reducing the argument to its most absurd level, the answer to your question is that an open door will lead to the fire burning the office block to ashes.

Bidco CEO Vimal Shah in a recent article in the Business Daily on his transformative management style makes the point that his managers are part and parcel of his vision to become a dominant market player in Africa.

By his open door policy, he has been able to transform the managers into team leaders, each with a piece of the vision. The evidence is that Bidco is a well run company, and the process of reductio ad absurdum would lead you to conclude that all businesses should be run like Bidco. Clearly that cannot be the case.

Let us start with you. Unknown to many managers, their way of relating to staff determines how a company is run. If, for example, you are a strict obsessional man of detail without sight of the big picture, leaving an open door at the office will be interpreted as a way of spying on your staff.

Instead of them coming in through the door to see you as you had intended, your cold, unapproachable ways will create a sense of paranoia, completely different from the open door policy you intended.

In the alternative, a friendly and relaxed manager who has time to mentor, guide and encourage his staff does not need to declare an open door policy. The door to his heart and office was open long before he put the policy into words. So, look into yourself and determine the kind of person you are.

This, however, does not imply that one type of personality is better or worse than the other. Both can achieve excellent or disastrous results depending on circumstances.

In a sense, there is an inherent contradiction in your question. On the one hand you say you have an open door policy and then you tell us that your staff are “no longer able to work with your instructions”.

Almost by definition, you cannot have an “open door” and give instructions to your team. An open door policy in the business and corporate world encourages staff to engage management, the CEO or supervisor with the greatest ease. It is more than a physical open door. It is a description of a style of management.

If a member of staff has a good idea to share with the CEO or a challenge in his work, an open door policy encourages him to come out with it.

Those who advocate this system are convinced that it empowers staff and improves mutual respect thus leading to improved efficiency and productivity.

Sadly, it does not work in all cases. In some cultures, the boss is king and nobody in his/her right mind may approach him/her with ideas or problems. The cultural divide is as clear as it is deep between staff and the CEO.

Pushing an open door policy could easily lead to the opposite effect where staff feel intimidated and insecure and might promote poor work output. Other problems would include a tendency of some people to misuse the open door to show disrespect to their superiors.

Some will, as you have found out, shake your hand beyond the elbow and will be unable to draw the line between work and friendship.

You must understand the full meaning of the policy. It is a management style which must suit you, the company and the staff. If it does not lead to prosperity of all concerned, then find a different way of managing your business.