Management myths

By Carolyn Cohen
Illustration: Blair Kelly

Open-door policies and staff motivation may seem like sound management policies. But do they work best for you?

In most disciplines, ideas, concepts and practices are researched, put forth and then seen as absolute truths never to be questioned or challenged. Such is the case with management practices such as open-door policies and staff motivation. Generally, if you are doing something that is producing good results, keep doing it. If, however, you are experiencing frustration regarding your work/life balance or your ability to help your employees, you may want to consider doing things differently.

Open-door policies
When asked if they are accessible to their direct reports at all times — in other words maintain an open-door policy — most managers take great pride in saying they are. When asked how that is working for them, they will often admit that it means they can’t get anything done during the day. “When I really have work to complete, I must get into the office at about 5 a.m. or 6 a.m.,” they say. “I have a hard time getting my staff to think for themselves. They seem to come to me with so many tiny issues.” And finally, “I want to be friendly with my staff but there’s just too much chit-chat. Don’t they see this is a workplace?” As with a myriad of issues, there are pros and cons to an open-door policy, although it may be a bit light on the pro side.

In its favour, being available for questions and conversation all the time may demonstrate a manager’s interest in the employee and the work that he or she does. Admittedly, this is valuable. Also, it may look as though it promotes efficiency because, in theory, questions are answered and the employee is able to move on toward completion of the task at hand. However, it doesn’t necessarily work that way in practice.

As for the cons: a steady stream of interruptions in the course of the day makes it next to impossible for a manager to get his or her own work done. There was a time, believe it or not, when the only thing managers had to do was manage people. With organizations aiming at being leaner, those days are gone. Today, managers have a great deal of responsibility in addition to over-seeing their direct reports. What happens when individuals have to put in longer and longer hours? They become resentful of those who put them in that situation.

Equally important is the fact that learning is restricted when someone is there to answer every question as soon as it is asked. Think back to the last time you were sitting at your computer trying to figure something out. Sure, you could have e-mailed tech support for help, but you would probably have had to wait at least a day and you needed an answer quickly. When you finally figured it out, you not only derived personal satisfaction, but the answer was likely to be etched in your memory for all time. But what if too much time was lost while you figured out the solution for yourself? When timing is crucial, other options may be more useful. Managing others may not be a manager’s only task, but the obligation he or she has to the direct reports is to help them grow, develop and achieve independence. That is difficult to accomplish if a manager is always rescuing them.

Consider these viable options. Why not have set times during the day when you are willing and able to delegate, coach and counsel (much like a professor’s office)? That way, a manager is free to complete his or her work without interruption. Another thing one can do is convey availability: a wide-open door means come on in; a door left ajar means come in if it’s really important and you’ve exhausted the alternatives; and a door that is closed means come in only if the building is on fire.

The only way these options can work is if your employees understand what is expected of them when a manager is not available. First, they should be instructed to try to figure out the problem themselves (you need to express your confidence that they will be able to do this). Next, they should seek out another member of the team for help. Not only will this let a manager off the hook in many cases, but it will also foster an interdependence amongst team members, and that bodes well for overall increased productivity. If no one else is available to help, perhaps they can work on something else until you’re free. Obviously, this assumes that the original project is not due immediately. Only if none of the above options are viable should employees insist on meeting with you.

One last thing if you are serious about moving away from an open-door policy: explain to employees that the reason for being less accessible is to help them become more self-reliant as well as to allow for more quality time when you do get together. You will be able to focus on them alone and not be distracted by reading or sending e-mails, talking on the telephone, writing notes about something else, etc.

Motivating your direct reports
A popular question in management seminars is about effective ways to motivate direct reports. A typical example: “There is an individual who reports to me in a pretty boring and routine job. She has worked for the company seven years and has done much the same job for all that time. She arrives on time, leaves exactly eight hours later and has never demonstrated a desire to take on more responsibility. Her performance appraisals show she consistently meets expectations but nothing more. I’ve tried talking to her about what else she might like to do but she says she’s happy with the status quo. How can I get her excited about her job so she will aspire to greater things and perhaps, more importantly, work harder?”

Several thoughts come to mind in such a scenario. First, it is the employee’s responsibility to motivate herself. She is the one who has firsthand knowledge about her needs, desires and what rewards guide her behaviour. She is the only one who is able to effect change about herself and her situation. It is a bit arrogant to think that you, the manager, are in a better position than she is to know what is exciting to her. If you work harder than she does to change her work life, don’t be surprised if the attempt fails miserably.

Second, the employee’s response to a manager’s attempt to engage her can be understood in one of two ways. Either she is truly happy doing what she does and feels no need to change it, or she might like to do something different but is apprehensive and holding back for some reason. If the former is true, she should be allowed to continue doing the good job she’s done for seven years. The manager needs to accept that average does not equal bad. Someone who consistently meets expectations over time should be valued. If she is not asking for help, the manager should back off.

In the latter case, the manager would need to have the expertise, time and inclination to be a counsellor to determine she would like some change even though she denies it and then to figure out what it is that stands in her way.

Is there anything you should do in this situation?
(1) Having a conversation in which you ask the employee about long-term career goals is important but take care not to be judgmental if the ambition just isn’t there.

(2) Establish and maintain a good rapport with the individual so if and when his or her needs change, he or she will feel comfortable about approaching you.

(3) If you think that fear of taking on something new could be a problem, start by delegating simple tasks and be sure to offer praise when the employee has been successful. Continue providing opportunities for new experiences and try to obtain feedback regularly.

(4) For the efficiency of the department and the development of staff, consider cross-training. This allows for a smoother operation when an employee is away and can also stem boredom if that’s a problem.

There are very few absolute truths when it comes to managing people, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new things to find something that works for both you and your staff.

Carolyn Cohen, CA, CHRP, runs a training and human resources consulting practice in Toronto and is CAmagazine’s Technical editor for People management. She can be reached at c.cohen@sympatico.ca.