Unlock Success: Why Nonprofit Leaders Should Rethink Open-Door Policies

5 min readMay 10, 2024

Are you a nonprofit leader with an open-door policy? If so, please stop doing that!!

I know you want to be accessible, facilitate communication, be collaborative and promote transparency. You want to be there when your people need you, address issues before they blow up and show how much you care about them. But you are really burning yourself out, and as a result, you will be a less-than-stellar leader.

While there are benefits to having an open-door policy, you need to realize how damaging it could be to your relationships, the reputation you are getting and the impact you leave.

As natural pleasers, performers, and perfectors, we often feel compelled to say “yes” to every request and keep our doors metaphorically open at all times. While this may seem noble, it can ultimately lead to exhaustion and diminish your ability to lead effectively. The pressure to constantly be available and accommodating can leave you in survival mode, with burnout looming!

You want to avoid staying in survival mode, as it affects the effectiveness of your leadership. In this podcast, I shared the five dangers of staying in survival mode on your team!

The five dangers of staying in survival mode on your team!

Here they are in a nutshell:

Being grumpy affects team engagement and creates distance.
Feeling scattered results in a lack of trust and questioning leadership abilities.
Lacking enthusiasm diminishes your ability to inspire and motivate your team.
Becoming narrow-minded leads to losing empathy and focus on broader organizational goals.
Losing passion for the job reduces your effectiveness and negatively impacts team morale.

Having an open-door policy is not helping you!

Grab this guide to see where you currently land on The Surviving to Thriving continuum and plan your way out!

A guide to help you ditch survival mode as a nonprofit woman leader

As you can see, where you land on the surviving to thriving continuum affects your leadership. An open-door policy keeps you whacking moles and putting out fires.

Keep it up, and you’ll be the grumpy, scattered, narrow-minded leader who lacks enthusiasm and has lost passion for their job.😳 Maybe you already are!

Do this to reclaim your sanity:

By setting boundaries, we can reclaim our time and energy, allowing us to focus on what matters most, which may change daily. You need the clarity of mind to decide that. Therefore, it’s time to ditch the open-door policy and set boundaries before burnout.

How do you ditch the open-door policy?

First, there are four essential components to ditch your open-door policy.
Then, you need to set this structure up with clear communication. I’ll share a draft message afterward.

THE 4 COMPONENTS TO HELP YOU DITCH the OPEN DOOR POLICY

1 — Establish office hours:

Establishing designated office hours during which team members can seek your guidance and support.

Starting next week, I’ll hold office hours every Monday and Thursday from 10 AM to 12 PM. During these times, feel free to stop by with any questions or concerns, and I’ll be happy to assist you.

2 — Use structured check-ins:

Implement structured connection times, such as team meetings or email check-ins, to streamline communication and avoid interruptions throughout the day.

To ensure we’re all on the same page and maximize productivity, I’ll schedule 20-minute team meetings every Tuesday at 9 AM. This will be our dedicated time to discuss priorities, address challenges, and collaborate on projects that need our immediate attention. If we need a second session each week, we’ll arrange that.

3 — Set the boundary:

Communicate your availability clearly and assertively.

While I value open communication, I also need dedicated time to think, plan and do the administrative parts of my job. Going forward, I’ll limit my availability for impromptu meetings and requests.
If something is important , please email me, and I’ll do my best to respond within 24 hours.
If it is urgent, text and I’ll return it in an hour.
If there is a fire, break the door down

4 — Encourage self-sufficiency:

Encouraging your team to find solutions independently teaches them how to problem-solve. It’s a way to foster their confidence and expertise while giving you some breathing room to focus on other important tasks.

I am not the only one with knowledge and experience on this team. You have an amazing group of peers, and I encourage you to problem-solve and collaborate with your colleagues before seeking my input. I’m here to support you, but I also want to empower you to take ownership of your work.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE YOUR NEW OFFICE HOURS AVAILABILITY

Here is a draft email to send to your team. You’ll need to rework it to feel comfortable and match your personality, leadership style, and the structure you’ve decided to establish.

Hey Team,

I love the work we do and the impact we have, but I also know that we all feel scattered and stressed at times. I’ve been thinking about how to support each other best and ourselves in this journey. As your leader, I am committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, empathy, and respect. But I’m also feeling stretched, not as thoughtful as I’d like in my responses to you, and less focused than I’d like to be at times.

To maintain our effectiveness and well-being, I’ve decided to implement some changes in how we communicate and collaborate moving forward. Starting Monday, I will establish designated office hours and communication channels to streamline our interactions and ensure everyone’s time is respected.

I believe that by setting clear boundaries and expectations, we can create a more sustainable work environment where we can thrive both personally and professionally. Let’s talk about how they will impact you and potential pitfalls, but also how you can implement some boundaries around your ability and time to focus.

Now is the time to share your thoughts, feedback, questions, and concerns about these changes.
I’m all ears!
~ Kathy

Becoming a thriving nonprofit leader takes time, but it’s worth it!

We know that setting boundaries is essential for our effectiveness and well-being. We also know it’s hard to do, though, for so many reasons.

Bit by bit, though, by implementing practical strategies such as establishing office hours, using structured communication channels, and setting expectations around availability, we can create a more sustainable work environment where both you and your team members can ditch survival mode and thrive.