The weather has cooled off today, so many of the apartments I walk by have their doors open to let in the soothing breezes. The image of the open door is a welcoming one. It beckons to all. There is no fear of retaliation, but a safe haven to express yourself honestly. Your opinions are valued. We all yearn for a workplace, a government, a family with this atmosphere.
During this time of quarantine with so much time to think, some are becoming more introspective. Instead of escaping to Netflix, they think about how to improve communication with their families and their co-workers. They even have taken advantage of the open door of our government, every person’s right to participate in a democracy. It is possible to express your personal views to an elected representative without fear of retribution. This involvement is a marvelous privilege many other countries don’t have.
According to Michael Wellman’s Jan. 24, 2017 article “5 ways to contact your elected officials and make your voice heard” in USA Today, here are some ways you can make your views heard by your representatives, senators and even the White House.
1. Reach out to your reps
The U.S. Government provides a public database for your elected officials of contact info — https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. Use it. Here is another link for contacting government agencies and elected officials — https://www.usa.gov/agencies.
Pro tip: Do background research, using reliable sources, before firing off an email with your position. It's difficult to effectively argue an issue with incomplete or incorrect facts.
By the way, you can often use your elected officials' official websites to sign up for email newsletters and other updates. You may also want to follow them on social media and comment directly on their posts.
2. Plan strategic calls, not just emails
As former Utah Congressional aide Emily Ellsworth suggests in a New York Times article, phone calls from constituents are often more effective than emails because emails are depersonalized and easily ignored amid other overwhelming requests for contact.
Further, a strategically planned group call has the potential to inundate office phone lines and force a representative to issue a statement to help clear out communication channels. Ellsworth consolidated her six years of experience as a congressional staffer into "Call the Halls," a guide to effectively contacting representatives — https://indivisiblerahway.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/call-the-halls-guide.pdf.
3. Attend town hall meetings
Your representatives will hold local Town Hall events or Q&A sessions where the public is encouraged to attend and voice concerns — these events are part of their gig. (Think: Leslie Knope's public meetings on Parks and Rec.) You can usually find info about when or where these are set to take place on local official websites or your representative's website.
These sessions focus on direct contact between constituents and representatives. At a town hall meeting, you can get up and ask a question. So be prepared to use your time wisely, in a way that will have impact. You may even want to team up with other constituents who have similar concerns and coordinate ahead of time to prepare questions or concerns. This way, you can cover more ground and ensure that ample time is spent on your pet issue.
Listen closely to the answers to ensure they do not skirt the question. And finally, be sure to publicize on social media or through other means your interactions during the town hall. You can live-tweet the event, for example, tagging the representative in your tweets. Their office is sure to take notice, especially if you get significant engagement.
4. Use digital tools for policy updates and action
You can track the legislation your elected representatives have proposed or contributed to in some way by browsing their respective websites. Once you're aware of bills coming down the pike that your congresspersons and senators will vote on, reach out to let them know where you — their constituent — stand.
One tool for this is Countable https://www.countable.us, which enables you to track pending legislation, learn more about it and contact your rep directly with your views.
5. Get involved with new engagement initiatives
Several movements are getting underway online to encourage voters and activists to make their views heard. For example, a left-leaning initiative called Indivisible Guide https://indivisible.org/guide was launched by a group of former congressional staffers. It lends tips on how to make Congress listen to constituents.
According to Wikipedia, government officials at the local, state, and federal level often implement an open door policy for the purpose of meeting with constituents. In Salt Lake City, mayor Ralph Becker maintains an open door policy every Wednesday to meet with residents one-on-one to discuss issues, concerns and suggestions involving the city. The Democratic Caucus of Orange County, New York has maintained an open door policy for over ten years, where all individuals — regardless of political affiliation — are welcome to attend the meeting. In 2011, in an effort to introduce a more open and transparent government, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York extended an open door policy to members of the public. A lottery was introduced that allowed for 300 New Yorkers to visit Gracie Mansion — the residence of the New York City mayor — following the inaugural festivities. The following week, for the first time in the history of the State of New York, a lottery was held to open the State of the State Address to additional members of the public.
An open door policy as related to the business and corporate fields is a communication policy in which a manager, CEO, MD, president or supervisor leaves their office door "open" in order to encourage openness and transparency with the employees of that company, according to Wikipedia. As the term implies, employees are encouraged to stop by whenever they feel the need to meet and ask questions, discuss suggestions and address problems or concerns with management. An open door policy is typically intended to foster an environment of collaboration, high performance and mutual respect between upper management and employees.
The practice is viewed as a morale booster by letting employees feel as if they are able to openly speak with their employer about issues face-to-face, rather than through e-mail or voicemail. In essence, an open door policy serves to empower employees, knowing that their voice is heard and issues are quickly addressed and resolved. Trust in the company tends to improve and grow, when employees understand that they are welcome to confide in senior management, when immediate supervisors are unavailable.
I worked as an accountant at a chemical plant for over 30 years. The plant itself was surrounded by a lake. The employees used to joke that management’s open door policy led straight out the door into the lake!
According to Lisa Quast’s Oct. 7, 2013 article “New Managers: 4 Reasons You Need an ‘Open Door’ Policy” in Forbes, four benefits of an open door policy are:
Accessibility: Managers who demonstrate high levels of accessibility are more apt to have employees who feel comfortable stopping by for a quick chat to bring difficult issues, situations or ideas to their attention. An open door policy gives managers a better understanding and “pulse” on what is happening in the department or company on a daily basis.
Open flow of communication: Those with open door policies have easier access to more informal discussions — and these are the discussions that often lead to important insights about the business. Managers who shut their doors a lot may quickly find they are not in the loop with what’s happening in the department and company because a closed door can send the unintentional message that they are uninterested and disengaged in daily activities.
Fast access to information: Open door policies encourage employees to come by and speak up when issues or important situations arise or when employees have creative ideas. In fast-paced industries, quick access to information is key. A manager closing their door often will eventually cut themselves off from fast-breaking situations or information because employees stopping by without an appointment will see the closed door and not want to interrupt — even when something is urgent.
Closer working relationships: An open door policy promotes a culture of friendly openness and builds a belief in others that the manager truly wants to be actively engaged with daily activities, thus fostering closer relationships with employees. Closed door activities can generate a feeling of formality in the work environment as well as a feeling of secretiveness, which can negatively affect relationships with subordinates.
When a manager’s door is often closed, over time it can create a barrier between the manager and his/her subordinates. This barrier can negatively affect many aspects of work from creating a formal, secretive environment where employees are afraid to speak freely to building a belief in others that the manager is disengaged from the business or just not interested; even causing subordinates to feel their manager is not trustworthy or that he/she withholds important information.
There are times that managers — even with an open door policy — must shut their doors, such as for confidential employee discussions. Where the office environment is a cubicle for all employees and offices for managers, I recommend holding confidential employee discussions in conference rooms instead of the manager’s office.
Why? Because, over time, if subordinates see the manager closing their door mainly for confidential employee discussions, the manager could create a wave of anxiety that sweeps over the department whenever he/she brings an employee into their office and shuts the door.
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