4-7-10 Open Door

In continuing to re-read the comments provided by my survey participants, I came across another interesting one……

In talking about the Communication Executive Skills, this participant said that the executive should “maintain an open door to all levels within the business”. Okay, I get that. You have to be open to communication with your staff, your peers, and your bosses. But my train of thought actually took off on a completely different direction when I pondered that input from my survey. Here’s where I went……

What does your office or your work space say about you? Specifically, does your office or work space give off the “vibes” that you are open and willing to talk. Or more importantly, listen?

You may think I’m a real dork for asking these types of questions, but if you really think about it, you will know what I mean. I’m sure that you have been into one of those offices where you didn’t feel comfortable and didn’t feel welcome. Wasn’t it difficult to communicate with that kind of feeling hanging over you?

Now, I’m not a designer and I’m not a feng shui expert. But I do know what makes me feel comfortable in an office. And I believe that if I am comfortable in my own workspace, my guests will be comfortable as well.

No matter the location of my workspace (be it factory or office building), I always tried to make it feel like home. How? The next time you are sitting in your living room, look around. What makes it comfortable? Once you have identified that, then think about how you can take that element to your office.

Some of the things I incorporated? Table lamps. Yep, I always had one on my credenza (and end table, if I had one). And I always had it on. The ambient light that it added warmed up the space.

And if at all possible, my desk was always set on a slant. No right angles. Why? It made me seem more approachable when I was sitting behind the desk.

Oh, and a couch. Huh? Yep, I really mean a couch. And if I didn’t have much space, the obligatory table and chairs always gave way to the couch and an end table. Why? Because, a couch is way more comfortable than an office chair. I always had a fair amount of reading to do in most of my jobs. Why not be comfortable while I was at it? But more importantly, sitting on a couch for a conversation or a meeting made my guests more comfortable.

What else? Just some of the little touches. Like nice artwork. Like meaningful tchotchkes scattered around. And finally, something that makes the place smell nice (but NOT overwhelming -- unless you work in a perfume factory).

So now you think I’m completely nuts. Perhaps you are right. But hopefully you might have noticed that I subscribe to the theory that the more comfortable a guest is, the more likely we are to have a fruitful conversation.

And once you realize that….. the next time you walk into your office, or one of your peers offices, or your boss’ office, think about how it feels. And more importantly, think about how it makes a guest feel.

Cheers!