The open door Luis Gonzlez, head of accounting, and Andrs Rodriguez, head of the articles department for gentlemen, they went out to have lunch together through the main corridor of the clothing establishment Ortiz. As they approached the exit door, they met Juan Ortiz, president of the company, who I was talking with Miss Moro, head of the novelties and costume jewelery department. ortiz did evident efforts to slip away, until finally with a somewhat impatient tone, he cut off: - I'm in a hurry, please. Come by my office this afternoon, if you can... Once on the street, Andrs commented, unable to contain a wicked smile: - I bet you something he added: "My door is always open." Luis returned the smile by answering: - I don't accept your bet; I would lose for sure. Once seated at the table in the restaurant where they used to go daily, Andrs commented: - Juan finds it difficult to replace his father in charge of the business. Without a doubt, it was a very hard blow for him that old Ortiz died in that plane crash. However, they have passed eight months and Juan continues in a state of permanent tension. Does not lack management experience business, as his father made him familiar with all the departments. I remember that still He was at school when he started working as an apprentice in the cellars, and then he spent some time time in each of the sections. There is no department that I do not know and, moreover, for five years he was helping his father the time that he was free to attend the university. So it is not experience that is lacking. tuis meditated on his answer for a while. - Yes, l agree that you know how it works -he finally commented-, but perhaps therein lies precisely the problem. Don't get me wrong, I assure you that I consider him a very nice, but I have a hard time passing on my ideas and suggestions, despite the best efforts I do -he was silent for a few moments and then continued-. Two years ago, I was assistant to the head of accounting from another company, when I found out that they needed an accountant here. They told me that Mr. Ortiz, Juan's father, was an excellent businessman in his human relations. AND, indeed, it was. He gave me carte blanche to implement my ideas in the department of accounting and allowed me to make many changes, after having discussed them with him, logically. It was nice to deal with Mr, Ortiz, because that man encouraged initiatives. Now instead... -1 know -Andrs answered-, now we no longer have the opportunity to present any idea or raise our problems to the new entrepreneur. And woe to us if we make any change for own initiative! It is very difficult for me to enter through that "open door". For example, the week Last time I had scheduled an interview with Juan to talk about the new line of shirts and business suits. gentieman we have been bidding for a month. Andrs then recounted that Juan was on the phone when he entered the office; you motioned for him to sit down, and when he had finished speaking, he hung up the phone and went out hurriedly, without saying a word, to order something to his secretary. Returning to his table, he did some notes on a piece of paper and added some notes to a draft that he had on his desk. Then, turning to Andrs, he asked: "Well, what new problems are you bringing me today?" Andrs reminded him of the purpose of the interview. He then added that he had collected some sales figures and that, furthermore, he wished to bring to his attention certain comments made by the clients that the sellers had transmitted to him and that should be taken into account. - As soon as I mentioned the word "vendors" -continued Andrs-, Juan interrupted me and began to rant against understaffing in the women's appael department. then it rang the phone once more. Once the communication is finished, we return to the thread of the conversation, but only for about five minutes. Juan was reviewing the sales figures, and I was commenting on the trend favorable of the last few weeks when, suddenly, he asked me out of the blue: "What is your opinion about Fernndez, the one who works in your department? Don't you think his performance is diminishing?" My nerves were on the verge of exploding, but the phone saved me. Juan was red with anger when he finished speaking. He looked at me as if he saw right through me and said, "They have another problem in the advertising department. That crazy Lopez always takes me for his cloth tears. Well, I think we've settled your issue, don't you think? Lpez is coming here and I have to attend to him, but when you have a free moment, come back and we can talk long and hard, in special of that new range of items that we introduced a few weeks ago...". As he walked me to the door, Juan talked incessantly. When I said goodbye I said: "Thank you for receive me, Juan". He answered me somewhat distractedly, while he made signs for his secretary: "You're welcome. Come back whenever you want. You know my door is always open." Answer: - Do you think Juan really knows how to listen? - What is the reaction of the employees to Juan's attitude? - Why was Juan's behavior when he met Miss Moro wrong? - What can Juan do to make the interviews with his subordinates more fruitful? Base the analysis in the example described by Andrs. - Do you know any businessman who has the same defects as Juan? Do you think that person Would you recognize yourself in the owner of Confecciones Ortiz? The open door Luis Gonzlez, head of accounting, and Andrs Rodriguez, head of the articles department for gentlemen, they went out to have lunch together through the main corridor of the clothing establishment Ortiz. As they approached the exit door, they met Juan Ortiz, president of the company, who I was talking with Miss Moro, head of the novelties and costume jewelery department. ortiz did evident efforts to slip away, until finally with a somewhat impatient tone, he cut off: - I'm in a hurry, please. Come by my office this afternoon, if you can... Once on the street, Andrs commented, unable to contain a wicked smile: - I bet you something he added: "My door is always open." Luis returned the smile by answering: - I don't accept your bet; I would lose for sure. Once seated at the table in the restaurant where they used to go daily, Andrs commented: - Juan finds it difficult to replace his father in charge of the business. Without a doubt, it was a very hard blow for him that old Ortiz died in that plane crash. However, they have passed eight months and Juan continues in a state of permanent tension. Does not lack management experience business, as his father made him familiar with all the departments. I remember that still He was at school when he started working as an apprentice in the cellars, and then he spent some time time in each of the sections. There is no department that I do not know and, moreover, for five years he was helping his father the time that he was free to attend the university. So it is not experience that is lacking. tuis meditated on his answer for a while. - Yes, l agree that you know how it works -he finally commented-, but perhaps therein lies precisely the problem. Don't get me wrong, I assure you that I consider him a very nice, but I have a hard time passing on my ideas and suggestions, despite the best efforts I do -he was silent for a few moments and then continued-. Two years ago, I was assistant to the head of accounting from another company, when I found out that they needed an accountant here. They told me that Mr. Ortiz, Juan's father, was an excellent businessman in his human relations. AND, indeed, it was. He gave me carte blanche to implement my ideas in the department of accounting and allowed me to make many changes, after having discussed them with him, logically. It was nice to deal with Mr, Ortiz, because that man encouraged initiatives. Now instead... -1 know -Andrs answered-, now we no longer have the opportunity to present any idea or raise our problems to the new entrepreneur. And woe to us if we make any change for own initiative! It is very difficult for me to enter through that "open door". For example, the week Last time I had scheduled an interview with Juan to talk about the new line of shirts and business suits. gentieman we have been bidding for a month. Andrs then recounted that Juan was on the phone when he entered the office; you motioned for him to sit down, and when he had finished speaking, he hung up the phone and went out hurriedly, without saying a word, to order something to his secretary. Returning to his table, he did some notes on a piece of paper and added some notes to a draft that he had on his desk. Then, turning to Andrs, he asked: "Well, what new problems are you bringing me today?" Andrs reminded him of the purpose of the interview. He then added that he had collected some sales figures and that, furthermore, he wished to bring to his attention certain comments made by the clients that the sellers had transmitted to him and that should be taken into account. - As soon as I mentioned the word "vendors" -continued Andrs-, Juan interrupted me and began to rant against understaffing in the women's appael department. then it rang the phone once more. Once the communication is finished, we return to the thread of the conversation, but only for about five minutes. Juan was reviewing the sales figures, and I was commenting on the trend favorable of the last few weeks when, suddenly, he asked me out of the blue: "What is your opinion about Fernndez, the one who works in your department? Don't you think his performance is diminishing?" My nerves were on the verge of exploding, but the phone saved me. Juan was red with anger when he finished speaking. He looked at me as if he saw right through me and said, "They have another problem in the advertising department. That crazy Lopez always takes me for his cloth tears. Well, I think we've settled your issue, don't you think? Lpez is coming here and I have to attend to him, but when you have a free moment, come back and we can talk long and hard, in special of that new range of items that we introduced a few weeks ago...". As he walked me to the door, Juan talked incessantly. When I said goodbye I said: "Thank you for receive me, Juan". He answered me somewhat distractedly, while he made signs for his secretary: "You're welcome. Come back whenever you want. You know my door is always open." Answer: - Do you think Juan really knows how to listen? - What is the reaction of the employees to Juan's attitude? - Why was Juan's behavior when he met Miss Moro wrong? - What can Juan do to make the interviews with his subordinates more fruitful? Base the analysis in the example described by Andrs. - Do you know any businessman who has the same defects as Juan? Do you think that person Would you recognize yourself in the owner of Confecciones Ortiz