What are some of the advantages to MBWA?

Answer 1

Gives a unique insight into the business

MBWA allows managers to see things as they really are and nearly always yields surprises. It is a far more proactive management style, allowing the manager to spot things before they are raised more formally and, as such, enables the manager to have a far better understanding of the business.

MBWA has been found to be particularly helpful when an organization is under exceptional stress; for instance, after a significant corporate reorganization has been announced. It is no good practicing MBWA for the first time on such an occasion, however. It has to have been a regular practice before the stress arises.

MBWA is an informal top management practice. It makes the entire workplace less formal. It was MBWA that made leadership more effective in many well-run organizations. It "lets senior management hunt for and enjoy chatting with the creative thinkers in the guts of the organization".5 MBWA frequently goes together with an open-door management policy.

Raises the manager's profile

While it may seem that employees resent the idea of a manager 'snooping around', in actual fact, staff surveys generally reveal that team members like to see a lot of their managers. Managers that are invisible are often felt to be distant and unapproachable and it can damage team working if the manager doesn't get involved in day-to-day operations.

It brings new opportunities for communication

MBWA encourages managers to interact with all their staff and can be an ideal opportunity to exchange ideas and feedback about developments in the business. It is the people that do the job every day that normally have the greatest insight into process inefficiency. MBWA can tap into this knowledge.