Tom Peters, alumnus of the management
consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and one of today's best known and highest
paid management gurus, first came to prominence in 1982 as he "knocked our
socks off" with his eye-opening best-seller
In Search of Excellence. This thought-provoking classic provided us
with many valuable lessons from America's Best-Run Companies. Today, almost
20 years and ten best sellers later, Peters is still on the cutting edge of
the on-going business revolution that never seems to end.
In his first book, Peters introduced us to the key concept
of MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). After a brief definition of this
powerful strategy, he shared a number of MBWA examples from such notable organizations
as Hewlett-Packard, GE, PepsiCo, LucasFilm, Corning Glass, 3M, Disney and
Wal-Mart. This unique approach obviously worked well for these and other companies
in the early 80's. However, has it stood the test of time?
Tom Peters believes it has… as does a great number of leaders
and organizations who continue the pursuit of excellence in today's competitive
marketplace.
MBWA does not mean leaving your responsibilities behind
as you stroll through the nearest shopping mall. Even wandering through your
organization can do more harm than good if it isn't executed properly.
Here are a few tips to assist you in that same pursuit as
you Manage By Wandering Around.
- Appear relaxed as you make your rounds. Employees will
reflect your feelings and actions.
- Remain open and responsive to questions and concerns.
- Observe and listen and let everyone see you do it.
- Make certain your visits are spontaneous and unplanned.
- Talk with employees about their passions—whether family,
hobbies, vacations, or sports.
- Ask for suggestions to improve operations, products,
service, sales, etc.
- Try to spend an equal amount of time in all areas of
your organization.
- Catch your employees doing something right and recognize
them publicly.
- Convey the image of a coach—not an inspector.
- Encourage your employees to show you how the real work
of the company gets done.
MBWA works best when you are genuinely interested in employees
and in their work and when they see you as there to listen. It sometimes requires
follow-up. When you can't answer an employee's questions on the spot, get
back to them with an answer within 48 hours.
Harry K. Jones is a
professional, motivational
speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services.
Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change,
customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership,
stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries,
including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and
manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our
contact form.
Publication Date: Spring 2001
