Why your best managers never stay seated

One harassed bank employee learned the hard way that walking could be mistaken for a criminal offense. As one true story shared by a reader, a feared top executive spotted him crossing the hallway and barked like a prison guard catching an escapee: “What are you doing? Why aren’t you at your desk?”

The poor guy froze, swallowed whatever dignity remained, and quietly returned to his workstation – as if productivity could only happen while glued to a swivel chair. In this organization, apparently, the shortest distance between two ideas is not a walk down the corridor but a permanent indentation on an office chair.

Hasn’t this executive heard of Management by Walking Around? Or, maybe he was thinking MBWA is only for managers.

This reminds me of Taiichi Ohno’s Chalk Circle during the formative years of Toyota between 1940 to 1950. Ohno required some workers to stand inside a circle for hours. In some cases, people were forced to do it during their entire eight-hour shift.

Its purpose was to train people toward deep thinking. Ohno thought that “standing still and watching” was meant to sharpen one’s mind because he distrusted reports. He believed that data tells you what happened, but the standing on a circle tells you why it happened.

Gemba Walk

In today’s modern management, the Chalk Circle is seen as too rigid, demeaning and a violation of labor rights. Also, it causes physical strain like varicose veins and fatigue, among other long-term health concerns.

Enter the Gemba Walk and its mobility advantage. Human attention and situational awareness expand when done with face-to-face interaction with people.

So, how do you make the Gemba Walk operational across all industries – from a high-precision factory in Calabarzon to a fast-paced BPO in BGC?

It requires a structured discipline that starts with the following best practices:

1. Define the “theme” before walking. Set a specific goal to sharpen your focus. One example is safety hazards or hand-off points between sales and logistics. Without a theme, the brain defaults to a “vacation mode.”

2. Follow the “value stream.” In manufacturing, this means following the product from raw materials to shipping. In fast food services, it starts with a customer’s order up to delivery. In banking, it’s walking to see the reason for the customer’s waiting time.

3. Identify the three evils of business. The Japanese call them muda (wastes), mura (imbalance) and muri (stress). Wastes are things that add no value. Imbalance is shown by workers being busy while others are idle. While stress is forcing machines and people beyond their limits.

4. Ask “five whys” toward the root cause. But do it with respect to the person following a management system. Fix the process, not the person. Example: Why secure six approvals for an application for a one-week vacation?

5. Capture the work-life reality. Take photos of actual situations, like workarounds or temporary solutions. They are like masking tapes holding things together. These are the footprints of a failed process.

6. Resist the urge to fix things on the spot. If you start correcting people, they will stop acting naturally. They will “perform” for you. The goal is to see the process as it truly is, warts and all. Exception: Intervene if you see an immediate health and safety risk.

7. Close the loop with a meeting. A walk without a follow-up is just a plain bodily exercise. Immediately after the walk, meet with the team to discuss observations. Don’t blame anyone but focus on the problem, root causes and decide on the solution.

In conclusion, doing a Gemba Walk or MBWA without context is the corporate equivalent of wandering into a stranger’s living room and judging their choice of curtains. It’s awkward and confusing. You’ll probably be asked by the host to leave.

Walking is not a rigid religious doctrine but a thinking system. The goal is deep observation, not a taxidermy exhibit. If you want your team to see and solve problems, don’t turn them into garden gnomes, but future walking achievers and champions.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity activist. Share your comment, question, or story to [email protected] or DM him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or via https://reyelbo.com