Open Doors and Closed Minds

Many managers claim to have an open door policy. While these managers’ doors may be open, employees often find their minds are closed. Stated another way, their managers are not approachable, accessible or interested in their thoughts and ideas. The signs of a closed mind are listed below. Are you guilty of these habits?

• The manager doesn’t make time to regularly meet with employees.
• The manager doesn’t invite feedback or input, and isn’t receptive to negative feedback.
• The manager is not a good listener.
• The manager discounts or ignores ideas and suggestions.
• The manager is not available to help solve problems or make decisions.
• The manager provides more negative feedback than positive recognition.
• The manager is slow to respond to emails and phone messages.

When employees feel a manager isn’t accessible or approachable, there’s one guarantee: this manager will have more problems, and bigger problems, than if he/she were perceived as open and available to employees. Employees who believe their manager is neither open minded, nor accessible, eventually stop talking. They stop informing the manager when there is a problem, allowing it to fester until it negatively impacts the entire organization. They stop asking for help when they need it, rendering themselves unproductive and ineffective. They stop innovating new ideas. They lose motivation and become disengaged.

An employee’s lack of motivation stems from several factors:

• Not feeling appreciated.
• Not feeling like a valuable contributor.
• Not having access to pertinent information needed to complete major and minor tasks.
• A lack of confidence in not knowing performance strengths and weaknesses.
• An increasing number of unsolved problems or unresolved employee conflicts.
• Too much time spent on activities that are not deemed important to the manager or to the success of the company.
• A lack of new and challenging opportunities.

To stem the tide of mounting problems and employee apathy, implement these five steps to become an open-minded, approachable manager in the eyes of your employees. Employ one new skill each week until all five become a part of your daily routine.

Schedule regular meetings with your employees

Let your employees know they are important. Block off time on your calendar for team meetings and stick to the schedule. Identify time to meet with your team members one-on-one on a regular basis.  Meetings send the message that you value your employees and want to hear what they have to say. Scheduling regular meetings will also improve efficiency.  When employees have questions or suggestions that are not urgent, they know they will have an opportunity to discuss them with you at the next meeting, thereby cutting down on unnecessary interruptions. Finally, facilitate a morning huddle to address daily concerns or schedule office hours each day so employees know when they can approach you with urgent needs.

Keep employees informed
Provide pertinent information to employees on an ongoing basis. Keeping employees up-to-date conveys that you trust them with critical information that will allow them to prioritize their efforts, make decisions, solve problems, and move forward on projects. The more confidence you display in your team members to appropriately use vital organizational information, the more effort they will put into doing a great job.

Ask employees for input and ideas

Seek the input and ideas of your employees on important projects, when problems arise, or when innovation is needed. Let them know you believe in their understanding of your organization’s goals and needs and have confidence in their ability to solve problems and create new opportunities.  When you ask a question, stop and actively listen to the answer.  Ask team members for more information or clarification about their recommendations; then summarize what you heard.  Use their ideas whenever possible, and never discount an idea. When you can’t use an employee’s suggestion, explain why you will not be able to implement their idea, and thank them for their input.

Don’t shoot the messenger

When employees come to you with problems or concerns, accept their input with an open mind.  Remember, just because they had the courage to come to you with a problem doesn’t mean they are the problem. Seek to understand their concerns by asking for more information, and ask for their solutions. Control your emotions and body language. Assure the team member you will look into the problem and get back to them.  Follow through on your promise to address their concern and follow up to see if, after taking action, the problem was resolved.

Make time to give feedback and recognition daily
The more positive feedback you give, and the more frequent the feedback, the more motivated your employees will feel. Make every effort to let your employees know you appreciate them.

By following these five simple steps, you can create a better, more comfortable relationship with your employees. Problems will diminish and employee motivation and engagement will increase. You will find it easier to achieve the results you expect and desire from them.