Setting office hours is a pretentious practice from the nineteen-twenties. It’s an attempt to seem accessible while dictating when you can be bothered. Your team doesn’t operate on your clock, and your office hours are just another way to say your calendar is more important than them.
Leadership is about being available and present, reaching out proactively, understanding your team’s pulse, and addressing issues not only when you want.
Instead of “letting” people book a few minutes of your time once a week, try to stop looking busy and use that time to reach out to them. Ask them how they are doing. Start the conversation.
As a leader, your time belongs to your team. You are there for them, and the least you can do is be genuinely present and approachable, or get out of the way.
Cut the pretense. Your team does not need this.