I Don’t Have an Open Door Policy (and Recommend You Don’t Either)

Bottom Line Upfront: Whether working remotely or in-office, an ‘Open Door Policy’ communicates that interrupting at any time is acceptable. An ‘Open Calendar’ protocol is a much better approach that maximizes ‘Deep Thinking Work Cycles’ so you and your team can out-innovate your competition.

Author

Steve Kahle
February 04, 2024

⬆️ Mindset Shift:

As an operational leader, yesterday’s approach is to tell your team that you have an Open Door policy so they can visit, call, and text whenever they want. This sounds great unless you are designing a culture that honors and protects Deep Thinking Work Cycles. Your team members need time to focus on delivering excellence in the workplace. Consider implementing an ‘Open Calendar Protocol’ instead. 

📋 Open Door vs Open Calendar:

Let’s knock out some simple yet important definitions:

Deep Thinking Work Cycle:

A work session of immersed concentration required to deliver a desired output, which is often analytical and sometimes creative in nature. When Deep Thinking Work Cycles increase, so does a team’s ability to innovate and deliver at a higher rate of excellence.

Open Door Policy [🛑Not Recommended]

An approach that communicates to team members to interrupt and enter an office or workspace when face time is needed. The negative consequence of this approach is that team members who may be in a Deep Thinking Work Cycle get interrupted for something that isn’t urgent. The time, attention, and energy cost of such interruptions is expensive to the one being interrupted and very costly to the organization over time.

Open Calendar Protocol [✅ Recommended]

A balanced approach that encourages team members to open calendars and schedule meetings when face-to-face time is needed. Rather than interrupting at will, the approach dramatically reduces disturbing team members who may be in a Deep Thinking Work Cycle. When implemented, unneeded interruptions decrease, and your team’s ability to focus for a longer period of time increases. The end result is higher rates of innovation and improved quality of work.

This relevant excerpt is taken from the Communication Escalation Protocol post.

"It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to work that was interrupted." — Gloria Mark

Professor Gloria Mark of the University of California Irving’s research quoted above parallels Microsoft’s findings, stating that it takes an average of 20 to 25 minutes to return to work after an interruption.

Here’s the takeaway - an Open Calendar Protocol wins out over an Open Door Policy. 

Watch the cultural shift as everyone on your team becomes more mindful of the high costs of unneeded, non-emergency interruptions. 

💥 Operational Action:

Socialize implementing an Open Calendar Protocol with your team today by sharing this article. Consider going to The Elite Operator Report to share the link so formatting is maintained. 

🔎 Want to Go Deeper?

Check out the Communication Escalation Protocol post for a mission-critical way to maximize Deep Thinking Work Cycles. 

💡 What Do You Think?

Consider leaving a comment or a question so others can benefit and learn. 

🛠️ Tools Mentioned:

No tools were mentioned directly, although the policies mentioned work great for organizations using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. A recommendation is to have the configuration setting allow team members to see calendar details. This additional context is helpful. Note that any calendar event can be made private. 

☁️ AI Content Disclaimer:

This content is 100% human-created.

✅ Mind Break:

Since you made it this far, to wrap up on an unrelated note, it isn’t a surprise that this short Mountain Bike video in the breathtaking Italian Alps has earned 2.3 million views. The video inspired me to add visiting the Dolomites to my bucket list. 

🗓️ What’s Coming Up Next:

Next week, we kick off a new series in digital communication management. 

Let’s all keep striving for operational excellence,

Steve Kahle |  ELITE OPERATORS

🔵 P.S.

P.S. If you find value, consider signing up for The Elite Operator Report if you haven’t already. I encourage you to share my content with others, which is a great way to help me build a growing community of elite operators. Also, check out my no-cost resources, like the Ideal Recurring Week Mini-Course. You can also apply for my next Productivity Accelerator, become a paid subscriber, or recommend me for executive coaching, operational and technology consulting, or speaking opportunities like this interview called Time Architecture, Transition from Stressed, and Distracted to Focused.

You can also contact me directly on LinkedIn or through this contact form. 

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