Have an "Open Door" Policy

One of the biggest obstacles that employees faces at IBM is how they can communicate with directors and up... They may not feel comfortable approaching the boss, and as a result of this apprehension, many employees may choose to avoid bringing up important points, thus blocking the flow of communication.

Having an "open door" policy (not only on paper) where your employees feel comfortable bringing anything to your attention, at any time, can be immensely beneficial to your business's internal communication, not to mention it will make you more approachable.

If they are not approaching you, always remember they are probably talking to fellow employees (check in with employees on a regular basis).

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Still have some unresolved issues. Cannot find the Open Door or Speak Up contact online anywhere. Or arbitration or counsel. Help!

Agree 100% - do not talk to managers - you will not accomplish anything - everyone is in a self-preservation mode right now, do not rock the boat, do not ask for anything, do not whine about anything, do not try to change anything, do not try to add workload (any kind) to anybody - sit still and try not to rock the boat.

HOWEVER, do update your resume and start looking NOW. There are so many wonderful oportunities out there for folks with ANY technical skills - you will be amazed how s---y IBM was once you see what's out there - TRUST ME - there is no worse place in Tech right now (OK, with the exception of HP)....

never go above your boss. i went to my 1 level manager above and was slapped down and threatened. complete uncaring and disgraceful reaction. did mot address my concerns at all. then 3 months later and O'm on the RA list. IBM is tanking the SS Titanic it is a horrible place to work. get out while you can.

OP is either in Asia or a brand new person here in the States. So, I'll attribute this nonsensical post to either cultural differences or inexperience. In short, if work at IBM you DO NOT WANT to talk to anyone above, it'll get you no brownie points and it'll likely hurt.

Good idea! Bypass your manager, break the chain of command. Have a good savings account first and a resume ready.

Is this a joke? I've been away from IBM for 21 years -- I left when cookie man took over -- but back in those bad old days, IBM always trumped their official "Open Door Policy". It was said you could see Watson Jr. if you pressed hard enough. (BS, but it made for good talk.)

You do know there was such a policy, right? Are you sarcastically bringing it up, or has it been gone so long it was forgotten?

Dear @JYex3ay ,

This may come as a surprise to you but IBM Management doesn't give a sh-- about you or your opinion ! Managements only goal at this time is take as much as possible from you and your family before the ship goes down. Don't believe me ? Just look around you and see the utter despair in the eyes of your co-workers. Look at all of the unaddressed problems and issues that keep coming up day in and day out. Do you really think management is unaware all of these issues ? They are very aware, they just don't care. It is every man or woman for themselves. Save yourself and abandon ship, before it is too late !

I completely agree with 1trx - in fact I was badly burned recently by trying to report something very unethical via the open door policy. I went to the VP level, just two levels above me, and was slapped down and punished pretty badly. This is a badly broken company with evil and greed from the top down.

lol... An open door policy at IBM is a dangerous idea, in my experience. Often times your direct manager is the last line of defense you have against what the boss' boss wants done. The higher you go, the uglier you're more likely to find your situation.

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Have an "Open Door" Policy

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