I firmly believe that you shouldn’t expect what you don’t inspect, which means if you want your business to run smoothly, you need to be hands-on in your management. One effective way to accomplish this is through a strategy known as “MBWA,” which stands for “management by walking about.”

What Does the Leadership Technique Known as Managing by Walking Around Involve?

As the name suggests, MBWA is a leadership philosophy that encourages managers to leave their offices to roam around the workplace, chatting with employees and observing operations on the front lines.

Regularly wandering through your business without a concrete purpose can be extremely helpful. It allows you to stay closer to your people while avoiding surprises, and it’s easier to dole out compliments and corrections. If you choose to manage from afar, you will continually be ill-advised, uninformed, and oblivious to the real issues in your business.

The MBWA approach is employed by businesses such as Hewlett-Packard, which champion the strategy as a key factor in their success. It can work for you, too.

What Are the Benefits of Management by Walking Around?

Informal Leadership and Its Impact

MBWA enables you to adopt a slightly less formal leadership style, which in turn breaks down barriers between managers and employees. This can transform your office culture for the better, enhancing team dynamics and fostering stronger, more effective employee-manager relationships.

Being Present and Accessible

Making your presence known around the office helps your employees feel more comfortable approaching you, whether it be to celebrate their successes or address pressing issues.

Observing, Listening, and Engaging with Employees

Managing by walking around provides leaders with an opportunity to observe, listen to, and engage with their employees. The goal is not to be an imposing presence—it’s to be an active participant in the workplace.

Uncovering Hidden Challenges and Opportunities

You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll begin to notice about your workplace and your employees by taking the time to walk around. Employee behavior, system bottlenecks, and recurring setbacks quickly become obvious when you spend time on the floor.

What are the Disadvantages of Management by Wandering Around?

Although the results of the MBWA approach are overwhelmingly positive, there are a few potential disadvantages to be aware of. First of all, some employees might perceive your presence as micromanagement or a lack of trust, especially if this is a new strategy for you. You can mitigate this by being open, honest, and consistent in your approach.

Second, be careful not to make hasty decisions based on your observations. Remember that you’re only seeing snippets of your employees’ day, and your presence there might impact their behavior. Any conclusions you draw should be thoroughly researched before you act.

Finally, the most obvious drawback is that the MBWA approach requires taking time out of your busy schedule, which can detract from your other work. When you have a lot of high-level tasks on your to-do list, it might seem like a waste to wander around the office.

Overall, though, it’s worth tolerating these minor issues to reap the benefits of being informed about your business.

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Coach Dave