Early in my career, while working as a software developer and systems administrator, I was advised to focus on building digital tools and systems to enhance business processes. At that time, I was transitioning into my second professional role. In my first position, I had interpreted customer requirements to develop automation tools and software. However, I had not fully understood the importance of direct communication with customers, as that responsibility fell to others within the organization.
In my new role, I had the freedom, resources, and assignment to improve processes using systems. Empowered by a very open-minded manager, I began engaging with internal stakeholders, primarily from sales, accounting, vendors, truck drivers, technicians, and others. This hands-on approach allowed me to better understand existing processes and explore ways to digitize and improve them—sometimes even when the process owners were resistant to change. I made it a habit to walk around the office, conversing with team members, observing how the business operated, and identifying potential improvements.
The insights gained from these interactions were invaluable. Observing processes firsthand was far more enlightening than relying on emails or isolated business analysis meetings. I witnessed the real workflow, the movement of documents, workarounds, system failures, and the critical role human factors play in process success. I also saw how communication—both internally and with external partners—could resolve issues, how some employees were eager to embrace change and digitization, while others were more inclined to stick to traditional, paper-based methods.
On one occasion, I discovered a department that was diligently filling out a standard report form, which was sent to headquarters. When I inquired about the purpose of this report, I learned that no one actually knew who requested it. After further investigation, I instructed them to stop sending it to headquarters for a week to gauge any reaction. No one followed up. This led us to create a small database application using MS Access (my first love in digital tools) to manage the core data and generate local reports, eliminating a redundant and time-consuming manual task. Had I not been walking around and engaging with employees, this inefficiency would have persisted for much longer.
A decade later, after moving to a different company, I received a call from someone asking about the database. I shared the story and advised them to reassess its relevance. I suggested they “take out the rusty nail and find a new way to hang the picture.”
At my next company, which was in its infancy, I had the unique opportunity to shape the organization from the ground up, building policies, processes, procedures, and systems. As the IT Manager, I continued my practice of walking around, engaging with employees, and continually improving processes. This practice became ingrained in my management approach, yielding several key benefits:
- Staying connected: Engaging with both new and seasoned employees.
- Receiving timely feedback: Gaining real-time updates on ongoing processes.
- Building relationships: Sharing knowledge and learning from colleagues.
- Problem identification: Recognizing issues before they become significant challenges.
- Promoting process improvement: Cultivating a mindset of continuous improvement.
- Fostering collaboration: Encouraging a culture of cooperation, especially as the company grew.
- Celebrating success: Recognizing and nurturing individual and team accomplishments, particularly around change.
Throughout my management career, I continued to make it a point to walk around, ask open-ended questions—even those that seemed trivial—and encourage honest conversations. This often led to surprising insights, and while some employees found my approach humorous or startling, it always helped me achieve my primary goals: developing people and improving processes.
Later, I learned that this approach had a formal name—Management by Walking Around (MBWA)—a practice popularized by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, the founders of Hewlett-Packard. They recognized the importance of informal communication and interactions with employees at all levels of the organization. Unlike sporadic visits to sites or satellite offices, this was a daily practice for them, enabling them to stay connected with their teams.
Of course, MBWA has its challenges. It can be time-consuming, lead to misinterpretation, and may be perceived as an overreach of control or even micromanagement. However, the benefits far outweigh these drawbacks, especially when leaders communicate the intent behind this approach transparently.
I highly recommend this practice to professionals at all levels. New staff, in particular, will benefit from building relationships, developing others, and driving process improvements. In a world increasingly dominated by digital communication, where we are physically and digitally distanced from one another, I believe that the simple act of walking around the office, sharing a smile, and engaging in casual conversation is invaluable.
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