The Benefits and Challenges of Management by Walking Around

Posted on May 21, 2024 at 09:05 PM

Being a manager or a leader means having to follow the best management technique to empower your employees and develop the best working team on all levels. However, if managing with a strong relationship is the technique you believe in, then following the management by walking around (MBWA) is your answer.

Moreover, the great management by walking around (MBWA) will share with you great advantages, like an amazing work culture, and help you avoid work problems more effectively.

If you are interested in knowing all about management by walking around (MBWA) then you must continue reading with us to discover the benefits, challenges, and more!

What Is the Concept of Management by Walking Around?

In today’s world, where managers communicate with their employees via e-mails and management platforms, the need for management by wandering around increased.

Management by walking around (MBWA), or by wandering around, is a term that refers to a technique of management which involves managers wandering and asking questions around the workplace to communicate, talk, understand, notice, and improve their knowledge of workers.

And here we are not only talking about simple visits to the main core of the company, as this wandering business management style must include all the active offices, whether this is an observing check or formal appreciation visit.

Management by walking around practice emphasises managers' and leaders’ interest in recognising all the working staff within the company. Simply by being present, listening, dealing, meeting, and engaging with their workforce, this visit involves the interpersonal level as well.

What Is Management by Walking Around Activities?

The professional management training courses Dubai indicate that the management by walking around (MBWA) technique includes many activities that managers do to engage with their subordinates while casually walking around their desks. 

Here are the most popular activities associated with this MBWA connected and management technique:

• Observation of the work processes, workflows, and employee interactions.

• Listening to employees' concerns, feedback about tasks, required learning opportunities, questions, and ideas through informal times, including conversations, group discussions, or personal meetings.

• Building relationships among managers and their team members, which helps managers boost trust and support.

• Celebrating organisational success with the working people will build the concept of team success, not individual success. 

What Are the Benefits of Management by Walking Around?

Although managing by walking is not a comprehensive management approach for all, like project stockholder management, however, the MBWA is a popular management technique among managers aiming to build unique relationships with the office teams. 

• Better Communication and Relationships: 

Management by walking around (MBWA) means that the manager will be wandering leading to establishing open and direct communication between employees and boosting trust and collaboration. 

Moreover, when managing with MBWA, managers will spend face-to-face time with employees, and develop stronger and more effective relationships in the workplace.

• Unique and New Perspectives: 

Whether talking about compensation, raises, health insurance, or the new project the management by walking around will help the manager gain a new view points from their employees who are interacting more closely with several work details.

In other words, being physically present in the workplace allows managers to gain fresh insights into the company operations and challenges based on the working people's own perspectives and experiences.

• Faster Problem Solving: 

In MBWA you will get unique and regular brainstorming sessions with your people, and that helps you solve problems faster and more effectively with lower bad impacts or losses.

As all the communication in management by walking around boosts efficient risk management strategy with quicker situation assessment, better information and insights, and real effective collaboration within the team.

• Improved Creativity in the Workplace: 

Continuous engaging with employees in informal settings will foster an environment that encourages creativity and idea generation as employees will feel free to speak up and present their ideas. 

Thus, the management by walking around will help you create and develop a culture of innovation and improvement, driving the organisation forward on all levels.

What Are the Challenges of Management by Walking Around?

So, we know we are presenting the management by wandering around (MBWA) as a great managing technique to follow, yet, we cannot deny that there are some challenges in implementing this business management style.

• MBWA Needs Time:      

Implementing management by walking around needs a huge time commitment and time management from managers to do effective unplanned visits, as MBWA could in one way or another affect other managerial responsibilities. 

• May Cause Employee Distraction:      

The constant presence of managers walking around the workplace, even if it is a friendly and casual walk, may affect employees' focus and productivity. Thus, managers must balance between existing around and providing good work time for employees.

• Unstructured Work Schedule:       

When managers adopt the MBWA technique they must not walk around at a specific time, thus, they will need flexible work schedules. And this lack of structure can be challenging for some managers who will be more comfortable with well-organised routines.

In conclusion,

Management by walking around (MBWA) has never been this important in building a stable and positive work environment, especially with all the digitalisation and lack of direct human interaction.

Thus, start training your managers and leaders to understand and implement the MBWA style in the best way.