MBWA (Management By Waking Around)

Why do some leaders quickly implement change and inspire their team(s) to exceed all targets- while others try everything possible and their team(s) barely meet expectations?

For many employees, one of the most popular questions they are asked every morning is “How are you?” By the way, this question is stated not by a co-worker, but by their boss. Many ineffective managers and leaders have distinguishing factors such as not asking good questions or offering little or no help, support or even encouragement or suggestions to their employees to be more productive. Many leaders do not avail themselves to the potentially useful techniques that help them manage better either because they do not know them or do not believe in them.

Management By Walking Around or MBWA for short, was pioneered by the two men who started HP-Hewlett-Packard (Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard) in the 1940’s. The “HP Way” of MBWA was based on the concept that employees are capable of being part of the problem solving process and that a team approach to creating new business ideas and innovating ways to solve problems was far superior to the “top down” approach of management coming up with all the answers and dictating them to their employees.

The idea behind MBWA, according to author Tom Peters who popularized the term, is simple: “Managers can be a lot more effective when they wander around the work site. Companies that perform the best are the ones whose managers actively go out into the trenches and listen and engage with their employees.

Managers can best engage employees by asking how their day is going, what barriers they face, what problems they see, how the organization could do better, and how management can help them do a better job. Some may remember the notion of management by walking around as an old idea that is coming back in many companies.

Some organizations who have used “management by walking around” focused on leading that resulted in productivity improvements of at least 30%. Effective managers have their fingers on the pulse of their projects, their teams, and the organizations. Some of the ways “Management By Walking Around” improves leadership includes:

· Motivates employees to achieve individual and team goals
· Focuses the team’s attention on business priorities
· Increases the ability to drive cultural change
· Builds company spirit
· Reinforces company values

Management By Walking Around builds trust and relationships, motivates the staff by management allowing employees to take an active role in the company they work for, and creates a healthy organization.

Management By Walking Around recognizes and appreciates the employees who help make you successful. Managers who practice this style, take note of the following:

1. Speak with People One-on-One as this builds trust.

2. Get to Know People more on a personal basis as this shows your interest in them. Tell them something about yourself.

3. Be Prepared to hear some things you would rather not hear. Some things may not be going so well. Accept these things as information that may be useful to you without being critical of the employee who presents the information.

4. Always Ask people for their ideas on how their work could be improved. Listen carefully to their ideas.

5. When You Notice something out of line, make a mental note and go back later to address the problem.

6. Practice MBWA with everyone as often as you can. Be humble. Let them show you how to input the data.

7. Try to Catch Employees in the act of doing something right. Notice the things that are right and express your appreciation. This builds loyalty.

These are simple and powerful tools for you to use daily. Today, many business owners and leaders walk the floor only when a crisis occurs. They think their presence will calm their employees. The trouble is, that is not effective if you have been hiding in your office before you notice a problem has hit. MBWA only works (and does work) if you do it regularly and you really want to know what is going on in your organization. So Instead of staying in your office all day, every day, visit your employees on a regular basis, and discover how to improve your leadership with your employees and your company.

“Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.”
- Dianne Feinstein

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you for the leadership skills you may be seeking, please contact us at 602-405-2540 or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com