The myth of the "open door" policy
Many leaders pride themselves on having an open door policy.
They believe they’re approachable and that their team feels comfortable bringing them problems.
Here’s the reality we’ve discovered from coaching thousands of people:
That door is only open for work problems.
No one walks through their boss's open door without thinking twice to say:
"My marriage is struggling and I can't focus."
"I feel like a complete impostor in this role."
"I'm so burned out I'm thinking of quitting."
The power dynamic makes true vulnerability nearly impossible.
And a leader who is unaware of these underlying realities is effectively managing with blinders on.
They are completely blindsided when a top performer suddenly resigns due to burnout.
They misdiagnose a performance dip as a skill gap when it's really a crisis of confidence.
This lack of real information leads to poor talent decisions.
Wasted training resources.
And a constant, expensive cycle of reactive problem-solving instead of proactive leadership.
This is why external, confidential coaching is so critical.
It serves as the real open door.
It's the one place a leader or their team members can go to talk about the issues that are actually impacting their performance.
Without any fear of it affecting their career.
An “open door” policy is a great start.
But a confidential coaching resource is the real solution.
Ready to create a truly safe space for your people to solve their real problems?
Then let’s connect.
