An Open-Door leadership style and its impact on your workplace culture

Whenever I've had an office, I've had an 'open door' policy - if the door is open, team members (at any level) are encouraged to walk in and talk. If I didn't have an office, the same process applied - walk up to my desk, and I'll stop what I'm doing and we can talk. Nothing has been more important than providing my team with easy and consistent access to me.

Open-door leadership reflects my leadership style - I value accessibility, transparency, and genuine connection with my team members. I keep my door open so that I can create an environment where communication can flow freely to me, I can build trust naturally, and my team members feel supported. In roles where I haven't been able to easily interact with my team directly in their work locations (i.e. in the field), this approach has been invaluable to me; it's helped me build positive workplace cultures and I've gained insights that I don't believe I would have got without it.

But you need to be committed to make it work - you need to ensure that your door always remains open!

Why Open-Door Leadership Matters

As leaders, you set the tone for your workplace culture. When your door is open - literally or figuratively - it sends a clear message to your team: you are welcome to come in and share your ideas, concerns, and feedback, anytime. This openness reduces real or perceived barriers and encourages honest, open communication.

Communication gaps, broken linkages, and misunderstood messages are common challenges in organisations, especially when leaders are distant, or are preoccupied regularly with their tasks. An open-door approach helps bridge those gaps by making leaders more approachable and available. This accessibility can prevent misunderstandings, resolve conflicts early, and set the tone for the work that supports a positive culture.

How/Why Does It Work?

A positive workplace culture is built on trust, respect, and collaboration. Using an open-door leadership approach supports these values by targeting the following.

• Encouraging transparency and understanding: When leaders invite questions and discussions from their team members, they feel included in decision-making processes and they understand why decisions have been/are being made.

• Reducing hierarchical barriers: An open door approach reduces/removes the power distance between a leader and a team member. It generates a connection and makes the leader more personable and relatable.

• Promoting psychological safety: Team members are more likely to speak up when they know that their leader listens to them without judgment. Acknowledging team members' issues, concerns and challenges during regular interactions with them builds trust and rapport. Generating this type of relationship is especially important, as it can lead to an effective route for leaders to hear 'bad news'.

• Fostering teamwork: Open communication channels help teams solve problems together and innovate. As a leader, you don't have all the answers ... or all the good ideas!

I've had many, many examples where a team member has been struggling with a deadline for a project or task and due to my open-door approach, they have felt comfortable to come in and discuss the issue(s) with me. Almost always, we've found an answer together that led to an acceptable outcome. I'm sure that, without this approach, I'd have had more crises to deal with!

An open office door symbolising accessibility and openness

Remote and Busy Leaders

In current times, I recognise that leaders who work remotely, or who have packed schedules, face a set of unique challenges in staying connected with their teams. Despite this, I believe that an 'open door approach' can still work well in these situations, by emphasising your availability beyond your physical presence.

Here are some ways that remote and/or busy leaders can maintain accessibility:

• Virtual open-door hours: Set specific times when team members can drop into video calls or chats with you, without an appointment. Note that consistency of approach is key - you don't need to be available at the same time every week, but you do need to be available every week.

• Prompt responses: Send brief acknowledgement replies to key messages, noting that you'll respond in greater detail later. It shows that you are attentive and approachable.

• Regular check-ins: Scheduling regular one-on-one virtual meetings helps maintain personal connections. This approach is one of the most important if you have direct reports in remote locations.

• Encouraging informal chats: Creating spaces for casual conversations, in chat format, builds connection and rapport. With the increasing number of 'chat' platforms now available, this is becoming easier and easier to do.

Providing easy and regular ways to connect with your team members, especially if you, or they work remotely, is key if you want to build a great team.

Why is it Important?

When you're busy, it's tempting to close your door - I just need 30 minutes to get this urgent task done! But often, it takes more than 30 minutes to complete the task, and what starts as a way of managing occasional 'urgent' requirements can quickly become a habit.

For leaders, maintaining open communication during hectic times is crucial. When they stay accessible, they get the following in return.

• Prevent small issues from growing into big problems.

• Help keep team morale high by showing regular, ongoing support.

• Model the behaviour that they want to see in their teams.

• Build and maintain trust, which is harder to rebuild once it's lost.

Even brief moments of connection can make a real difference - a quick check-in, or a few encouraging words, remind your team members that you're there for them and that they are not alone.

Final Thoughts

Adopting an open-door approach takes effort, but it's a powerful way to improve communication and show support within any team. It builds trust, encourages collaboration, and helps leaders stay connected with their people, no matter how busy or remote they are. Leaders who commit to this approach show that they care about their team’s success and well-being.

Your next step is simple: open your door - physically or virtually - and invite your team in. Start by scheduling a virtual open-door hour this week and see if it makes a difference. My experience shows that positive impact will follow.