You have probably heard the phrase “manage by walking around,” but what does this really mean? It is simply having senior leaders set aside time to regularly observe frontline work and speak with employees. Leaders who do this gain a true understanding of what is really happening at their company beyond reports and “filtered” information. Those conversations also make a positive impact on employees, making them feel respected and that their voices have been heard.
These employee conversations should include both personal questions to learn about the employees themselves as well as open-ended business questions such as:
· What is it really like to work here?
· If you could do 3 things to make this a better place to work, what would you do?
· Are there things at the company that prevent you from being able to do your best work?
· Are there things that keep the operation from being the best it can be?
While most leaders see the value of doing this, the challenge is making it happen in the middle of a hectic schedule. My recommendation is to put a weekly, recurring time on your calendar. It is usually best to do it at the beginning of the day before other issues grab your attention. Then treat it like any other meeting that you need to attend. You will soon discover that this becomes one of the most important meetings on your calendar!
If you would like to learn more about how to improve and grow your company, reach out to us at Anavo Growth Partners. You can also find other business-improvement articles on our blog page.
