It's very likely that during the first few tours you take, your employees won't be as open to conversation as you'd like, but this shouldn't discourage you.
These visits to their workplaces on a persistent basis will bring them into a more and more space of trust; this in turn will allow them to express their ideas and problems.
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12 Keys to Management By Walking Around (MBWA)
Management By Walking Around gives your company's managers the valuable opportunity to involve employees in the organization's mission, vision and values.
But for this to be so effective, the correct application of 12 fundamental keys is necessary:
It is applicable to everyone in the company
The more relaxed and calm the tours, the better. You really should spend some time with the lower-level people in your company to get to the bottom of the MBWA.
Therefore, you should not only have contact with supervisors who have direct contact with your staff, but you should interact with everyone, without distinction, in order to obtain a true perception of what is happening in your company.
It is performed as frequently as possible
The idea of MBWA is to send encouraging messages to all your staff to let them know that you, as the company manager, are not too much to not relate to them.
This technique removes the barrier between boss and employees. Instead, it creates a communication bridge so that everyone is aware of what is happening in the company.
This is the best way to let your employees know that you care about their opinions and will keep them aligned with your goals, so you should hold these meetings as often as possible.
Do it for yourself
Management by Walking is most commonly used when a manager addresses his employees alone, in a more personal manner, i.e. without assistants.
This makes the conversation more pleasant and much more confidential.
As we said before, talking to your staff doesn't mean you won't uk company email list take into account what your company's supervisors can contribute.
On the other hand, it may be the case that employees, in the closeness that MBWA would foster, open up to you with complaints about their supervisors and department heads.
In this situation, the important thing is to act.
Ask Everything You Can
This technique is a great opportunity to observe how your staff interacts with your clients. Therefore, you can ask them what activities or projects they are working on, what their concerns or suggestions are.
The goal is to get your employees to tell you what needs to be said, not what they think they should say. That's why it's essential that you show them interest in every conversation.
You may not be able to solve many of their problems right away, but you can follow up on them until you find the best solution.
Observe and Listen
Active listening is one of the main characteristics of MBWA, but not only that; you should also observe how your employees interact with your customers and with other employees.
