Open Door Work
There's a curious paradox in how we approach our work. Those who keep their office doors closed typically accomplish more in quantitative terms—they produce more papers, complete more tasks, check more boxes. Yet something unexpected happens over time.
As Richard Hamming observed, "Those with closed doors, while working just as hard as others, seem to work on slightly the wrong problems, while those who have let their door stay open get less work done but tend to work on the right problems." The relationship isn't merely coincidental.
An open door invites interruption, yes, but also inspiration, correction, and collaboration. It creates natural intersections with colleagues and their ideas. "I suspect the open mind leads to the open door, and the open door tends to lead to the open mind," the observer noted. "They reinforce each other." The physical barrier of a closed door becomes, imperceptibly, an intellectual one as well.