Having an Open Door Policy Might Be The Best Policy by Kingsley Grant

Have you ever heard the following quote: “A rising tide raises all ships?”

Maybe you’ve heard or read it this way: “A rising tide lifts all the boats.”

They both mean the same thing.

John F. Kennedy used the latter quite a bit. It’s a widely held belief that he borrowed the quote from the New England Council of the regional chamber of commerce. He used it so often that the quote is often attributed to him.

Why did I share that with you?

Sometimes we feel like we are all alone in our journey. For some people, these feelings might not be as often but they do surface.

At those moments, the load of what we do rest heavily on our shoulder.

GET OTHERS INVOLVED

One of the reasons this happens is because we did not share our dreams or aspirations at the beginning with others around us so that they could be a part of the creation process.

Other times we may not have done a great job communicating what it is we wanted them to help us with or we were not patient enough or we thought they would get in our way, or we thought they might not be supportive enough, or …

Whatever the reason, we now find ourselves trying to raise our ship by ourselves.

Some people might be watching but are enjoying seeing us “suffer” under the load. They might be having thought such as …

… serve you right

… you made your bed, now lie in it

… now you need my help, huh?

AN INVITE IS IN ORDER

But there might be some who are waiting for you to invite them to come and help you. They don’t want to impose even though they see you under the burden of trying to keep things afloat; raise your ship.

Again, it might be our pride that’s getting in the way. We are too proud to ask for help. It shows our vulnerability, which we have equated to weakness.

Here’s the thing: give people around you a chance. They might surprise you. Ask for help.

This asking may take the form of having a way for them to provide you with ongoing feedback. You may want to have an “open door” policy, where certain people feel they could come in and be honest with you.

This “open door” is a metaphor. You don’t have to have a physical office.

LEAVE A COMMENT REFLECTS AN OPEN DOOR POLICY

As you read these blogs, I’ve given you an “open door” invitation to “come in” and tell me whatever you feel I need to hear. It is in the form of a “comment on this post.”

It’s very important to realize that you and I cannot do this life/journey by ourselves. We need key people in our lives. And the good news is: they are within your circle. You’ve got to look for them.

Look around you: who do you know who could be this person or these people? Don’t discount the virtual space.

AN OPEN DOOR POLICY HAS A GREAT ROI

I am a part of a mastermind group of three people. It was four at the beginning but one had to pull out for personal reasons.

I met them online. We’ve been meeting together now for almost 4 years. We get together once per week to discuss our progress in our business. We also talk about some personal things as well.

I have been fortunate to meet all of them at different times through my travels.

These guys serve as the tide that helps me to raise my ship and to keep it afloat. They are not the only ones. I have some special people in my life as well that have permission to enter the “door” and give me valuable feedback.

I want to challenge you on this. If you don’t have an “open door” policy to your life, create one starting today.

Yes, it is risky. But the benefits far outweigh the risk. I don’t know what I would have done or where I would be without these people who I’ve surrounded myself with.

If this is an area that you need help in, let me know. There are other tools and strategies that I use to help my clients and it’s also a part of some of the presentations that I give to groups. If you know of a group that could use my service, please let me know. You can see some short videos of me speaking HERE.