An open environment is one where you give people autonomy by sharing problems, but it’s not just a matter of throwing out big problems and letting folks sink or swim. As a leader, you’re still on the hook for results, so sinking doesn’t sound so awesome. Rather, an open environment provides (a) guardrails and (b) support. Instead of “sink or swim,” we give people swim lessons—and even let them wear floaties if they need them.
