Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)

A strong and healthy relationship with associates is important to manage your work life successfully. Management by wandering around is a useful motivational technique to allow managers and employees equally to maintain strong relationships in an organization. Below article speaks about management by wandering about or management by walking around in a little bit more detail.

It is as much important for a business manager to stay in touch with his subordinates to empathize or sympathize, as it is to observe the state of affairs of a business and take necessary actions, so that he may not only direct the overall performance in a way as wanted – producing the desired results, but also win the hearts of his people. This would lead a manager to get the things done by his subordinates to the best of their willingness.

It must be noted that people in general tend to respond more willingly to being led if they are motivated with care and concern shown for them rather than just paying attention to them. As it goes in this saying, “All things are easy that are done willingly.” In this way, for a manager being connected with people can be a major factor for the success of the business. Here is why management by wandering or walking around is important.

Management by wandering around – MBWA basically refers to managers spending some part of their time listening to problems and ideas of their staff, while wandering around an office or plant. Management by walking around is a term coined by management guru Tom Peters.

Management by walking around is a powerful motivational technique. This practice can lead to greater action taking, because it helps employees to share the vision of a manager and work accordingly and yet enthusiastically. On the one hand it enables the employees to be engaged with their work sincerely; on the other hand it makes them more productive. Thus, stopping by to talk with people to get a sense as to how they think about an organization and work and to solicit ideas that the problems may be solved and the improvements be brought about, is a great way to successfully deal with the operations of a business as well as people.

Personal presentation is about a person and how he presents himself in everyday situations. As far as it is important for a manager to portray himself as confident, experienced, skilled and expert, it is also important that he or she may be seen as a person – not just as a boss. It is then only that the subordinates tend to be more open to the ideas, suggestions and opinions which in turn can lead not only to solve the existing problems but also to learn in advance of those matters that may become problems. Thus, the practice of management by wandering around yields sustainable benefits in a business organization.

Written by:
K. A. Fareed (Fareed Siddiqui)
Writer, Trainer, Author, Blogger, Software Developer
BBA, MBA-Finance, MPhil-Financial Management, (PhD-Management)
MA-English, MPhil-English
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications and Programming
Certificate course in English language proficiency
Level 1 – Leadership and Management ILM – UK
Pursuing CMA-USA
Individual Member of Institute of Management Consultants of India