The open door policy is killing your productivity.
Trust me. I’ve been there.
It feels good to say “my door is always open.” It feels noble. You’re available. You’re accessible. You’re a team player.
But you’re really just giving everyone permission to interrupt you. And that’s where the problem lies.
Your job isn’t to be a human vending machine, dispensing quick answers to everyone’s questions. Your job is to do the hard work. The deep work. The work that actually brings change.
You can’t do that in twelve-minute increments.
“But it builds trust!” you’ll say. “It establishes transparency!”
Does it?
Or does it just signal to everyone that you value their priorities over your own? The open door is an invitation for the urgent to bury the important.
It’s time to stop. It’s time to close the door.
Not to be rude. Not to ignore your colleagues. But to be effective.
It feels good to say the door is always open. It feels better to close it and finally do the work you were meant to do.
Rich
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