Most managers would rather stay in their offices and require that employees who need to consult them book appointments. On the contrary, Managing by Walking around (MBWA) is a managerial tool that some managers use to connect with their employees. As the phrase suggests, MBWA involves wandering around the various departments to see how work is being carried (Schindler, 2015). This concept is not entirely new; some managers in the past used to observe their employees and gave instructions when needed. The technique currently is recognized as a management strategy, meaning that managers are aware of its significance. The management style of sitting in the office has been variously criticized. One of the most prominent criticisms is that it makes the manager be out of touch with the organizational issues and may not understand the needs of the employees.
MBWA, on the contrary, is a management strategy that is regarded by most people as a technique that makes the manager understand the needs of his or her employees. Seemingly, it is a pragmatic approach as opposed to the conventional management strategies (Sharma & Goyal, 2017). In some organizations, secretaries sometimes do not know the exact time that the managers arrive to walk. It is because the particular managers, instead of reporting to their offices first, will be found walking around the organization, greeting their employees and engaging them.
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Mintzberg (2013) points out that the best way to execute MBWA is being unpredictable. That means that the manager visits his or her employees without following a particular routine. When employees learn of the specific times their manager is likely to visit their areas of work, they tend to prepare for the visit. The employees will then try to arrange things in order to disguise any bad activity they may have done. It would then be difficult for the manager to recognize any faults in the organization. When no employee knows the specific time their manager is likely to visit them, they tend to do the right thing at all times. That in itself builds a culture of hard work even if nobody is watching.
One of the most significant advantages of MBWA is that managers establish a personal relationship with the employees. The personal interaction makes the employees be at ease with the manager (Tucker & Singer, 2015). Also, because the manager becomes approachable, the employees have the opportunity of having their concerns being addressed. As opposed to the conventional management practice of sitting in the office where employees fear addressing all their concerns, MBWA makes the manager be aware of all the issues. Additionally, MBWA tends to instill confidence in employees, which is a positive attribute that contributes to the success of the organization (AlRawashdeh, 2012). When a manager walks around, gives positive remarks and sometimes makes corrections, employees tend to believe in what they do. On several occasions, the employees strive to improve so that whenever the manager passes by the next time, they notice the change. Overly, the organization benefits.
In summary, MBWA as a management tool has more befits than the conventional technique of sitting in the office. Managers who spend most of their time sitting in the office are often out of touch with issues hence cannot solve them conclusively. On the contrary, MBWA gives the manager the opportunity to observe how the employees work or any challenges that may arise. As a result, the manager will most likely develop the best solutions because he or she has an in-depth understanding of the issues. Also, the management tool builds a culture of hard work and confidence, attributes that are so crucial in ensuring the success of the organization.
References
AlRawashdeh, E. T. (2012). The Impact of Management by Walking Around (MBWA) On Achieving Organizational Excellence among Employees in Arab Potash Company. Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences , 3 (5), 523.
Mintzberg, H. (2013). Simply managing: What managers do—and can do better . Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Schindler, F. (2015). Management by Walking Around [MicroBusiness]. IEEE Microwave Magazine , 16 (5), 24-26.
Sharma, D. K., & Goyal, R. C. (2017). Hospital Administration and Human Resource Management 5Th Ed . PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
Tucker, A. L., & Singer, S. J. (2015). The Effectiveness of Management‐By‐Walking‐Around: A Randomized Field Study. Production and Operations Management , 24 (2), 253-271.
