“My door is always open.” But is that really enough?
You’ve heard this one before and maybe have used it yourself. Even assuming sincerity on the part of the leader with the open door, it’s still problematic.
I was reminded of this when chatting with Chris Blackburn, and the topic of Gemba walks came up. In Japanese (and Lean thinking), Gemba is the place of actual work. It’s where the value creation happens.
One of the most critical things leaders should do is go on Gemba walks. Go hang out with the people who are creating value in your organization. Better yet, work alongside them. Seeing a leader in their space who is genuinely curious will build trust over time and encourage value creators to start sharing concerns and ideas and asking questions. However, Gemba walks are not the time for the leader to bring solutions; you are listening and asking questions. Be curious!
And now you see why having an open door doesn’t work. Making people leave where they create value for the location of someone more senior, regardless of how approachable they are, puts the responsibility on the value creator—the opposite of servant leadership. Social power dynamics puts the person walking through the door (physical or virtual) on their back foot, not a great way to get the best ideas or top concerns.
But what about remote work? During the pandemic, I realized I was missing the touchpoints that happened in person, which allowed me to maintain a deep context with the actual work. The solution? Lots of Zoom time. I use short recurring meetings every other month (will vary depending on the size of the org) with everyone in my tree, not just skip level. Getting this invite will be nerve-wracking for the team members, so it is critical to be clear about your intention in the invite.
Many leaders mistakenly think they must maintain a sense of all-knowing in front of their organization. If this sounds like you or you dread getting asked a question you don’t have the answer to, it’s ok! Being authentically curious and honest when you don’t know something goes a long way to building trust with your team. Gemba walks (or Zoom calls) are a great way to practice.
Go Gemba!