MBWA or “Management by Wandering Around,” was a concept first mentioned by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman in their 1982 book, “In Search for Excellence.” MBWA was something they picked up in 1979 when they were doing their research in a much smaller Hewlett-Packard.
MBWA, simply put, means managers need to leave their offices, their desks, or their cubicles, and wander around. #87 of Peters’ 2010 book, “The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence,” emphatically highlighted the stanza below:
“Get the hell out of the cube!
Unplug the terminal!
Put your iPhone/Blackberry in the drawer!
Chat up anybody whose path you cross…
especially if you are not among your normal chatees.
Go strolling in parts of the organization
where you normally don’t stroll.
Slow down.
Stop.
Chat.”
Now here’s the dilemma—as I’m typing this post, wandering around in our current workspace means doing a drive-by to your kitchen, your living room, or your bedroom. Wandering around in our current workspace, doesn’t mean crossing paths with a colleague, your boss, the mail carrier, or Carmella from accounting. It means crossing paths with your spouse, your playful 6-year old, your ever so loving teenager, or your excited dog.
So, how do we MBWA while teleworking? All I can say is, use technology, but not the mainstream technology your company already uses for quick communications. In my organization, we use a chat feature a lot. That means, I should NOT do my MBWA using chat because it doesn’t add value to that interaction. Or at least, make clear distinctions on how you use that technology—normal operations vs MBWA.
There are four simple ways to do MBWA while social distancing. No, I’m not proposing doing a drive-by to your colleagues’ house with a megaphone to say “Hi!” (Please don’t.)
Simple ways to MBWA while social distancing:
Call them, via, uh your phone.
Video conference (one-to-one) or use Facetime.
Video conference (small team—non-work related).
Group chat (not one-to-one)
Phone Call
Nowadays, a personal phone call is as intimate as getting a handwritten note from another person. It’s insane to see how folks, sitting in the same area of the floor, prefer to converse using chat or instant messaging. Okay, okay. I, too, catch myself doing the same thing. Quickly realizing the silliness of this activity, I’ll jump up and walk a few feet to finish my conversation. One-to-one phone calls is a MUST during this time of social distancing. This is the most direct way to MBWA in our current situation.
Video Conference (One-to-One)
If possible, engage through a video conference with a colleague or direct report. This adds the visual aspect to your interaction. Working from home also provides a unique opportunity to connect more in a personal level. Kids running around or interesting items in your home office would present a level of depth into your interaction. You might see a guitar hanging on the wall, a small kid storming into frame, or a shelf full of books—all these insights about each other would not be possible if you’re in the office. You’ll have to play this by ear, but I would suggest requiring webcams to be turned on. Some folks may not be comfortable with that, and that’s okay. Ease through this new behavior, and do NOT force it.
Video Conferencing (small team—non-work related)
Quick “huddles” with a small group of people is always a must! This should be separate from any work-related huddles. Think of it as a virtual coffee break, lunch, or “happy hour.” You can open a virtual room, eat lunch or enjoy a beverage together—no agenda. Talk about random stuff. (No gossiping) Make it light conversations about fun and pleasant topics. As the leader or facilitator of this interaction, it’s your job to make sure everyone has equal ‘air-time,’ just like regular meetings. Visually, I would suggest that your screen is on a ‘grid’ format—encourage everyone to do the same. That way everyone sees each other at the same time, not just the person speaking. Then, make a mental note on how much ‘air-time’ each participant gets to speak. Yes, there are some who would prefer to just sit back and enjoy the conversations, but at least you’ve given them an opportunity to chime in. At the end of the session, bring everyone back together as a working team. Remind everyone how thankful you are of their contributions and the value they provide to your organization’s purpose. As General Stanley McChrystal wrote in his book, Team of Teams, “Purpose affirms trust, trust affirms purpose, and together they forge individuals into a working team.”
Group Chat
At the very least, you should maintain an open group chat for your team. Many of us already have one to help run operations of your service or business. My suggestion is to use this group chat to also share fun (work-appropriate) stuff—polls, photos, memes, etc…keep it fun and respectful.
BONUS #1: Spirit Weeks/Days
You can use video conferencing and group chats to facilitate ‘spirit weeks/days.’ Have team members dress-up or decorate their work area to corresponding spirit week themes. Use video conferencing and group chat to share the themes and even use them to vote for a winner. Here are examples of spirit week themes:
Monster Monday
Decades Tuesday
Team Jersey Wednesday
Crazy Hair Thursday
Ugly Sweater Friday
BONUS #2: Virtual Networking
Look through your organizational chart. Find individuals across the organization to chat with. They may have a direct line to your operations or they don’t. Just find meaningful interactions with different individuals across the enterprise. If you have mentors or mentees, don’t make the current situation sever the routine to interact with them. Our current state should not stop our relationships with our networks.
Crowdsourcing FTW
After several weeks of working from home, have you and your team established ways to keep in touch? Have you and other leaders in the organization identified the most effective way to MBWA while social distancing? Please do share your experiences and ideas below.