Bridging the Gap
Ask any group of managers if they view themselves as an elite within their organization, and you can be sure they'll deny it. You'll hear comments such as, "I have an open-door policy" and "I take pride in always being accessible and approachable."
And in most cases, these managers will really believe what they are saying. What they don't realize, however, are the many invisible barriers—the "glass doors"—they put in place. Management perks and privileges (like parking spaces or special offices) create separation. Similarly, employees find it hard to get any sense of partnership or collaboration when their bosses hold exclusive meetings or conferences, hang out in management cliques, use condescending or dehumanizing language or withhold financial statements or other "confidential" information.