Manage By Walking Around

This is a guest post from Archan Mehta

It's a cold, November morning. Two friends are up early, driving in their car, in order to beat the rush-hour traffic. The fog is dense, so visibility is low. Phil and Luke are lucky to have piping hot coffee for company, the only saving grace in this depressing climate.

"So, how's your new job going?" asks Luke, trying to break the ice.

"Well, as you know, I'm lucky to have a job," replies Phil. "You should have seen the ranks of the unemployed at the job fair."

"Tell me how you are holding up."

"Thanks for asking, but I'm doing just fine."

"Oh, come on now. I know you better than that."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret."

"Scout's honour."

"What's frustrating is that I remain chained to my desk all day."

"I thought you were in marketing."

"Well, I wasn't aware there would be so much paperwork in marketing."

"So, how do you handle it?"

"Put my shoulder to the wheel and keep on filling out forms."

"Hey, that's no way to run a business."

"Well, what do you suggest I should do."

"Have you tried MBWA."

"What's that?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't mean it to sound like a commercial."

"So, explain MBWA."

"MBWA is an acronym for Managing By Walking Around."

"How do you mean?"

"You walk around the office and get to know your people."

"I talk to my boss."

"That's not enough, my friend, you've got to know other people too."

"Why?"

"It all about networking. You never know who may come in handy."

"Meaning?"

"You can't afford to stay chained to your desk all day and do everything by yourself."

"You mean, that's bad management?"

"You bet."

"What would you do?"

"I would address people by their first names. And get to know more about them."

"Such as?"

"What is a person's area of expertise, for example."

"And how will that help me?"

"Well, have you ever wondered about HR?"

"Yeah, those are the blokes who hired me."

"Well, why don't you tell them what you just told me?"

"I'll do that, first thing in the morning. Thanks for the suggestion."

After a week, the two friends meet again. Over a cup of coffee, they start to chat. As you guessed, it is about the job situation.

"So, what has been the learning experience?"

"I've learned so much, it blew my mind."

"I guess you never thought of MBWA, right?"

"You can say that again."

"So, what happened, my friend."

"Minute I walked away from my desk, things began to happen. The HR people were really helpful, and suggested I should meet Stacy from the local office."

"What does Stacy do?"

"She's a temp and files away the papers."

"And?"

"Well, Stacy told me there was an opening for a secretarial position, and that she had already applied for it. So, Stacy and I walked over to the HR office. As it turns out, HR helped us to negotiate a position that would take care of my needs."

"Go on."

"Well, Stacy has worked in that role before and has the training and credentials to cover the paperwork. So, now I can breathe easy. Stacy will do the paperwork for me."

"What else?"

"Well, obviously that frees up my time for other tasks."

"Tell me about it."

"I have been thinking about MBWA. It's important to walk around to get to know people in your organisation. Finding about what makes a person tick is key. You never know when somebody can help you when the chips are down."

"And how you can help other people when the chips are down for them. It's a reciprocal relationship, right?"

"Yup. I've already started walking around, smiling at people, shaking hands and making friends."

"And don't you forget the employees on the shop floor too. Oftentimes, they are the ones with the brightest ideas."

"That's a good suggestion. I'll be sure to follow up on that idea. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm glad to help. The more people you know, the more likely it is for you to find a solution to your problems. Remember that lesson."

"I will. And I feel better too. I walk around all over the place, which is good for health."

"Yeah, and make sure you leave the office and walk around outside as well. You never know."

"I see where you're going with this idea. It is simple and yet profound. Manage by Walking Around."

"And remember, to ask probing questions. Find out about what people do outside of work too. Let people tell you about their stories."

"Yeah, we've been swapping stories since we were kids. And we have come up with some fine conclusions."

And, having said that, the two friends parked the car and started walking.

Archan Mehta is a freelancer and hobbyist. Feel free to contact Archan at archanm@hotmail.com

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