Since my early days in management, I’ve heard people reference “managing by walking around” as an effective leadership tool. I observed an interim superintendent doing this on the campus where I was principal-she would just show up periodically, ask how things were going, and move on. I appreciated these informal check-ins: it felt good to know that she cared to see what was going on day to day.
Why is this tool so important? What does managing by walking around look like, and why does it work?
First, I’ll tell you a funny story about walking around from my own experience. If folks in your workplace are not used to seeing leaders in their workspace, they may respond strangely at first. On the first day of summer school in a job where I was relatively new, I scheduled in a walk-through of one of the programs. I walked from class to class, greeting staff and students, making small talk, then moving on. I was trying to develop some kind of rapport through casual contact.
I later heard that the rumored purpose of my visit to the program had been to police for appropriate footwear. I had earlier come out against staff wearing flip flops; managing busy children and maneuvering wheelchairs did not lend themselves to flimsy shoes. My colleagues actually thought I was in their building to look for offending flip flops. My leadership was a tough sell in this particular location. The staff there was experienced and well established and didn’t really welcome “new.”
Does this mean that my attempt to manage by walking around was a bust? I don’t think so. It is a combination of volume (frequent visits) and quality (meaningful ways to casually connect) that makes MbWA work. Like so many aspects of leadership, building rapport over time is critical to trust.
MbWA was welcomed in other situations. One parent at a residential school commented that I seemed to be “everywhere,” and that she was delighted to see an administrator so involved in day to day campus life. An employee who worked nights in another school said that my presence during her shift made her feel like her behind-the-scenes work was validated by administration.
If you’re like me and a little shy, you might feel awkward in your initial communication gestures towards others. MbWA can be hard for me, and I don’t think I ever got it 100% right.
But here’s the thing: You need to keep trying. I am a naturally curious person, and I like to put together what I learn into a bigger “systems” picture. Learning by observing was also critical to my success as a leader, because it gave me information about how the organization worked. And showing genuine interest in what others are doing paves the way for future relation-building and rapport.
So here’s what I suggest to budding leaders as they learn to manage by walking around:
1. Schedule your walk-around time. Vary your destinations and time of day.
2. Be true to your schedule. Don’t blow off walk around time because you have “too much to do.”
3. Think about what you want to learn in advance. Are you touring the factory floor? Maybe there’s a process you can ask questions about. Checking in with folks working at their desks? Perhaps there’s a question you’d like to ask each of them to gain further knowledge about their work. Observing a classroom? Maybe you want to understand better how staff are encouraging independence or collaborative teaching models.
4. In situations where your MbWA might be misperceived, consider laying the groundwork by sharing your intentions in advance.
5. Consider sending follow-up notes. “Thanks for the pleasure of observing your class today! The activity you were doing was a great example of …”
Now here’s a controversial one: While MbWA, should you blend in or butt in? I have always had a tendency NOT to join in unless I am asked to do so. Having a relative stranger join an activity can be disconcerting for kids AND staff. But I was recently criticized for NOT joining in; it seems that I appeared disconnected or aloof. I can remember times when adults have inappropriately jumped into an activity, and I vowed that I would not do that. Do what feels right at the time, be sensitive to the environment, and be true to your personality.