Lots of bosses like to talk about the fact that "my door is always open.% In fact, it usually isn't. The bossâ door is usually protected by some form of palace guard, and often is just not easy to get to. If you really want to have your door open, e-mail can help you do that.
Several companies have started experimenting with ways to have the electronic open door and use it meaningfully. Most of them have found that employees tend not to abuse it. Most of them have also found that, just like with other promises, you have to live up to them. One of the most interesting experiments has gone on at Quaker Oats.
Quaker Oats instituted a daily e-mail from the executive suite to everyone in the company. It was dubbed "oat mail.%
It included a brief bit from the CEO or another top executive about what was going on in the company, along with some news and significant events.
One thing that was different from most other daily bulletins, though, was that each day a top executive answered a question that had been sent in from someone in the corporation.
This kind of system gives people a way to get their questions answered and for executives to pick up on the kinds of things that are on people's minds. It lets them answer the most-asked questions promptly.
Note, though, that it's no substitute for actually answering personal e-mails if you say that's what youâll do.
Making It Work
If you're going to have an electronic open door, be careful about what youâll promise in terms of response. It might be a good idea to suggest that every e-mail will receive a response, but not necessarily from you, or simply that you will not respond to all e-mails. The decision about what to do is more of a leadership decision than it is a technical one.
Once you've made your promise, keep it.
Created/Revised/Reviewed: 30 July 2002
This is only one Big Idea. You'll find more in Wally's book, What's the Big Idea? and in his Big Idea column. There's a complete list on the Main Big Idea page. You may also order the book by clicking here.
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