Leigh Yanocha, Managing Director, Head of People Strategy at Knopman Marks, helps professionals excel in their careers.
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Open-door policies that facilitate communication across a business are being put to the test as employees continue to work remotely. These purveyors of employee trust are vital to the health of any organization. Open doors promote open communication. They ensure that important feedback reaches managers before grievances escalate and valued talent jumps ship.
During the pandemic, when many companies, like mine, became fully remote organizations, many were concerned about how to take the pulse of employees when contact was limited to screen time over Teams or Zoom. We knew we had to introduce new policies to support our team spread out over states and time zones and help them feel heard. Without coffee breaks, the chance to bump into a colleague in the hall or the invitation to drop by a manager’s office, how would we be able to address challenges before they became larger problem areas? How could we ensure that employees would continue to feel heard and valued?
Here are three steps we took to build an effective open-door policy remotely to strengthen our organization, improve communication, build trust and enhance bonds between teammates across functions.
1. Block time.
Encourage managers to hold the same open block of time every week so that direct reports know when their manager will be available to chat. We found that setting up a weekly calendar invitation reminds colleagues that they have a friendly ear should they need one. Whether it’s a two-hour window on Fridays or an hour on Tuesday mornings, employees can find comfort in knowing that they don’t need to hold onto challenges or frustrations for weeks on end. Creating this space reassures employees that they have their manager’s support when they need it.
2. Reach out.
In addition to leaving the door open, it’s important to invite colleagues in. For instance, at my company, we assigned each member of our team a person to invite on a virtual coffee date. We paired people up cross-functionally so that those who rarely interact had a chance to get to know each other better. These virtual meetups were so successful that we make the practice a regular offering.
Consider pairing teammates cross-functionally to act as accountability partners for one another. Everyone on the team has goals they want to achieve. In weekly or biweekly calls, accountability partners help one another brainstorm ways to work through thorny issues and support one another. These cross-team dialogues can improve communication across all levels of the business.
3. Address concerns promptly.
For any open-door policy to work, whether it’s in-person or remote, it’s critical to establish a process to record and address concerns in a timely fashion. Consider tracking issues in a shared document so that the executive leadership committee can review and address them. Report on progress and solutions during your virtual weekly team meeting, another way to connect that was borne out of the pandemic. Your annual company-wide survey offers yet another chance to take the pulse of your employees, read every single comment and respond. At the heart of an effective open-door policy is the reminder to employees that they matter and their concerns matter.
When employees feel heard and valued, their morale is boosted and they are more likely to stay with an organization. In fact, teams that offer effective communication channels have a retention rate that is 4.5 times higher. Continue to weave opportunities to connect into the fabric of your organization. Find opportunities to take a pulse check of your team on a regular basis and continue to encourage interactions across every level of the business. Your senior leaders can get involved in new hire training from Day 1, setting a tone of accessibility and hands-on engagement that continues throughout their employment. We have learned that every interaction is a channel you are building that helps employees and your organization connect and thrive.
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