Management By Walking Around
This is an excerpt from the paper...
As a worker, I would be quite comfortable with the leader using the Managing By Walking Around (MBWA) style. I believe if workers are honest and conscientious, they have nothing to fear from their leaders and everything to gain. Leaders can provide guidance, answer questions, suggest ways of resolving problems, and give employees encouragement and motivation. The only types of workers who should fear management by walking around are the type who do not pull their weight, and waste company time, or continue using ineffective procedures rather than asking for advice or guidance on improving these procedures. The walking around style of management promotes interaction among all levels of the organization, which improves the efficiency of the business. Total Quality Management (TQM) systems are based on interaction through all levels of the organization and I think this is promoted by having managers walking around and interacting with employees, soliciting ideas, helping solve problems, and showing an interest in the employees. In too many businesses there is a hierarchical structure which works against interaction between different levels, and this can be counterproductive. There is no feeling of cohesiveness in such a structure. Everyone does their assigned job, and no one takes an interest in what someone else is doing. Employees feel they are snubbed by management, as if they arenÆt good enough to be considered worthy of inclusion in discussions about company poli
. . .
individuals and activities throughout the corporation through informal talks, coffee talk sessions, lunches etc. (Kotelnikov and Ten3 East-West). MBWA means managers consistently reserving time to walk through their departments and to be available for impromptu discussions; it involves individuals forming networks of acquaintances throughout their organization; provides a lot of opportunities for discussions over lunch or coffee or in the hallways; and managers get away from their desks to talk to individual employees to learn about their problems and concerns first hand, and at the same time, teach them new methods to manage particular problems: the communication must of both ways.
Managers should publicize the fact that they and their colleagues will be walking around at least 50 percent of the time (Kotelnikov and ten3 East-West). Managers should be sure to meet with employees in their work settings and not in the managerÆs office. Managers should be evaluated in part on the basis of their employeeÆs assessment of how well they keep in touch with them. A supervisor who does not know all his/her staff on a first name basis should be fired. If managers are in their offices, senior executives should ask why they are not out
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Walking MBWA, Guruing Scootering, Listening MBWAL, East-West Managers, Mallard Deming, Management TQM, Ten3 East-West, East-West MBWA, MBWAL Managers, Walking Aroundö, apr 2005, 22 apr 2005, 22 apr, kotelnikov ten3 east-west, ten3 east-west, kotelnikov ten3, employees feel, management walking, levels organization, managers employees, walking aroundö, interaction levels, 2005 22 apr, managing walking mbwa, interaction levels organization,
Approximate Word count = 2407
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
More Essays on Management By Walking Around
|