“An open-door policy doesn’t mean leaders should constantly be available without limits. Unstructured accessibility leads to frequent interruptions and decision fatigue—ultimately reducing a leader’s ability to be effective.” —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes
There’s a leadership policy that looks great on paper but rarely plays out well in the long run: the Open Door.
The beginning feels like smooth sailing. Open communication and a collaborative working environment where the team can always come to the leader…what could go wrong?
But then it turns into people constantly dropping by the office. Slack messages coming in late at night. Employees pouring out their frustrations on the leader while they’re trying to get work done.
Every problem in the office suddenly becomes the leader’s problem. And everybody wants their problem solved now.
I’ve seen leaders with an open door policy start out supportive and approachable, then gradually become exhausted, behind on their own work, emotionally overloaded, and even quietly resentful.
It’s not sustainable.
So, how do you make yourself accessible to your team without burning out?
There IS a better way.
Replacing the Open Door With Healthy Boundaries
Most of it comes down to boundaries.
As leaders, we want people to trust us and like us. We also want our team to feel like they can come to us when they need to.
And there’s nothing wrong with those thoughts! But they can also become pitfalls—because if those are the main thoughts driving us, we may start avoiding confrontation for fear of being disliked or upsetting someone else.
For example, if you catch yourself…
- overexplaining decisions constantly so nobody gets upset
- feeling pressured to say yes before you’ve actually thought something through
- avoiding offering direct feedback because you’re worried about being disliked
- absorbing responsibilities the team should own
- responding immediately to everything for fear of appearing unavailable
- noticing your own resentment building
…these are signals that most of your energy is going towards regulating the team’s emotions.
The answer is not to close the door entirely, but to set clear, defined boundaries with your team.
Here’s what that can look like in practice:
❌WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: People constantly drop by your office.
✔️WITH BOUNDARIES: Have set open door hours, but also create blocks of focused time on your calendar where you ask not to be disturbed.
❌WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: Slack messages come in late at night.
✔️WITH BOUNDARIES: Issue a clear after-hours policy so team members know you won’t respond to non-urgent messages at all hours.
❌WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: Employees share frustrations while you’re trying to get work done.
✔️WITH BOUNDARIES: Listen to your team, but if someone consistently interrupts workflows unnecessarily, address it directly and respectfully.
Can you feel the shift?
The strongest leaders I’ve worked with are supportive while knowing when to push back or draw a line. They are often deeply respected because they are clear, steady, fair, and emotionally grounded—not because they try to make everyone happy all the time.
Where We Tend to Hit a Wall
I think one of the reasons setting workplace boundaries is so difficult is because of the “family” framing that many companies have adopted.
You may have heard it in an interview, or from a senior leader: “We’re one big family here.”
This type of comment usually comes with good intentions. People want connection and loyalty, and leaders want to create an environment where people feel supported and valued. None of that is inherently bad.
But companies don’t really work like families, do they?
The “family” framing sets up confusing expectations for everyone involved, and often leaves people feeling guilty for drawing a line, even if it’s very reasonable.
“Team” is a much healthier framing than “family.” Great teams can absolutely care about and support each other. But healthy teams also understand roles, standards, accountability, and boundaries that are very different from those in family relationships.
In a functional workplace, boundary-setting doesn’t damage team relationships. It creates clarity for everyone involved and helps us prioritize what matters most in leadership: the lasting impact we make on our team.
