Get All Access for $5/mo

Management By Weekly Check-In Is the New 'Wandering Around' New technologies are allowing managers to keep up with their employees and track goals and employee progress.

By David Hassell Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

shutterstock

Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) sounds like a distraction, something for team leads who are either lazy or confused. But it's a process that has helped some of the world's largest and most successful companies. MBWA managers walk around the workplace to check in with employees, check on the status of equipment and to be more present and available. For example, Steve Jobs would often move about at Apple, responding to customer emails or initiating customer calls. The practice seems to have worked out quite well for the tech giant.

Often attributed to Hewlett-Packard founder David Packard's practice during the 1940s, MBWA was put into more widespread use at HP in the '70s. The expected benefit is that a manager, by random sampling of events or employee discussions, is more likely to improve alignment, morale, productivity and other business outcomes. Compare this with having an open door policy and expecting brave employees to show up with questions or status reports in hand. That is often intimidating for employees even in the most open and transparent cultures.

Related: 4 Steps to a Better Management Technique

MBWA is meant to be random, but not aimless -- with managers taking a closer look at everything from the environment, company hardware, or employee productivity. When management presence is not random and employees know that they are being watched, this influences their behavior. Announcing that the boss is making her rounds on the floor today might cause people to work harder than normal, or perhaps even have them make mistakes due to the added pressure. MBWA is meant to be unplanned so that managers can observe work in its natural state and have the greatest impact.

The new workplace.

Today things have changed. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over the past five years there has been a 50 percent increase in companies that have the majority of their teams working remotely. Many are predicting that the telework trend will continue as technology makes it easier and employee demand for flexibility increases. Managers in many industries are unlikely to have physical access to employees, many of whom telework. Sometimes the managers themselves are thousands of miles from their teams.

In the not-so-new millennium, effective managers are shifting into what I am calling #MBWC (Management By Weekly Check-in). They are using different technologies like employee surveys, employee feedback software, or email -- for those who like managing employee performance in the most inefficient way possible.

Unlike MBWA, this practice is not meant to be spontaneous. In fact, a regular cadence is recommended for maximum results. When managers ask certain core questions repeatedly -- like those dealing with goals and objectives -- they can track progress and help influence it.

Related: 7 Ways to Manage Your Most Motivated and Talented Employees

What is not spontaneous is changing up some of the questions depending on what managers are trying to achieve. For example, managers can ask the same weekly questions around employee accomplishments, but change other questions periodically to drive higher morale, maintain a strong culture or influence other outcomes.

Best practices for checking-in.

There are some dangers to checking-in with employees either virtually or in the physical workplace. According to this Economist article, MBWA often arouses suspicion from employees who see it as an excuse for managers to spy and interfere unnecessarily. The key here is to have this be an ongoing practice where management is transparent about the outcomes.

I've found this to be true with digital check-ins. Collecting employee feedback is effective but to encourage trust and candor, managers have to respond to feedback with their words and actions. There are three levels here:

  1. Acknowledge the employee for their candor.
  2. Respond and create a conversation around the feedback.
  3. Let each employee know that you will take action (if that is most prudent) and keep them updated on progress.

In Tom Peters's, "A Passion for Excellence," MBWA is described as the "technology of the obvious". It is founded upon listening to what people are saying, transmitting the company's values, and stepping in with support when needed.

Related: Managing People Is an Art: 32 Ways to Do it Right

Employee feedback software platforms are the newest "technology of the obvious". Effective managers are curious about what employees are working on, their levels of inspiration or frustration, and their innovative ideas for the product or company processes. A weekly check-in lets them ask questions like these:

  1. How are you feeling, what's the morale around you?
  2. Which company value would you like to have a new high mark in? (as in, which do you feel you aren't living to its potential?)
  3. Anything in your work world that's less than stellar/causing frustration or delays?

Nothing can replace regular face to face contact, and every manager should check-in personally as often as possible. In a marketplace where the growing trend is to work or manage remotely, the best alternative for facetime is Management By Weekly Check-in.

David Hassell

CEO and Founder of 15Five

David Hassell is the founder and CEO of 15Five, a leading employee engagement solution that helps create high performing teams by combining pulse surveys, weekly check-ins, peer recognition, and people analytics all in one platform. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Marketing

6 Steps to a Simple and Effective Content Strategy

Strategy can be an intimidating word, but it doesn't have to be. Follow these simple guidelines to make sure your next piece of content — and every one thereafter — rings true to your brand.

Growing a Business

5 Growth Hacks to Increase Your Revenue by 90% in 12 to 24 Months

Here are five innovative and proven strategies that can significantly boost your business's revenue within the next year or two. Whether you're looking to scale quickly or enhance operational efficiency, these growth hacks will provide actionable insights to help you achieve remarkable revenue growth.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Growing a Business

How to Build, Grow and Make Money With Ecommerce

To grow your online business, you need to develop a strategy and invest your time wisely. These actionable tips can attract customers and increase online revenue.

Business News

'I'm Shocked': Costco Customers Are Freaking Out About a Change to a Beloved Bakery Item

Costco customers are feeling burnt by a not-so-sweet switcheroo in the bakery department.

Business Solutions

Why Aren't More Business Owners Using This $18 App?

Turn complex data into convincing visuals with Microsoft Visio Pro.