I had a boss who repeatedly told people he had an “an open door policy.” Professing openness when a staff is in fear made me wonder and reflect back to my days in a marketing class. One technique in marketing to overcome a negative perception is to simply claim the opposite is true. Establish the message you want and repeat it several times. The professor provided the example of laundry detergents. Each product claims to get your clothes whiter than the other. However, most testing reveals that they are essentially equal. He felt it was even possible to predict campaigns. He noted that banks had the perception of being too big and standoffish. He predicted we would see campaigns to highlight banks as friendly institutions that care about the local neighborhood.
I have had bosses who want to be drinking buddies with workers. This is not just a bad idea, but lacks the foundation in reality. Bosses must set an example, and how you do this is up to you. There are many types of bosses and each has their own leadership style. Touting an open door policy has little meaning to staff that is controlled by threats, intimidation and retaliatory practices. I have been on crews, staffs and even the boss in my career. I have my style of leadership and I own it. For better or worse, it is a style that I feel comfortable with. I am also not without criticism and I try to work on my shortcomings as a leader.