I’m sure most business leaders and managers have heard the saying ‘walk the floor’. But are we doing it? What does it mean? And does it really work?
It means making time on a regular basis to find out what’s really going on in your business (department or team), literally walking around where your employees actually work.
Many successful business leaders believe that it is crucial to improve morale, performance, and results.
They say it helps show employees that you care about them, that you value their knowledge, skills and opinions, and that it can improve results because by asking questions you get to know the real issues that affect business performance and often , you can get the best suggestions to solve problems.
These business leaders believe that it helps build commitment and drive action to change problem areas much faster than otherwise, because by dealing with them face-to-face, people see that you mean business, and this can empower them to take action. measurements quickly.
When I ask the business owners and managers I work with if they ‘walk the floor,’ some common themes emerge. See if you recognize any of these statements:
- I don’t have time to go out and meet my staff; I’m too busy trying to do my job/get new business/solve your problems. (I’m sure there are a multitude of statements you can substitute here, you get the idea!)
If you say this yourself right now, then it’s clear that you’re prioritizing other things, i.e. you don’t think it’s important enough!
What if you could view this as one of the most important parts of your role as a business leader?
- I don’t have staff, I work with associates and they are not located in the same office as meso, so this does not apply.
Of course it doesn’t apply in the same way, in the sense of being physically with your team, but it can apply in other ways. For example, you could organize regular meetings via Skype.
- My staff shouldn’t need supervision, they should be doing the job they’ve been paid to do anyway!
While I agree that most team members don’t need 24/7 supervision, most will respond to knowing that you’re genuinely interested in what they’re doing, that you feel your work really matters to you, the business and your customers
- I’ll just antagonize them if I go out there and ask questions. Or they will think that I do not trust them and that I am controlling them.
While some may feel this way, in my experience and the experience of many of my clients, most will not, as long as you are genuine, ask questions, listen, and give appropriate praise.
Also, I guess sometimes you will be controlling them, or rather controlling the progress of the actions! Again, as long as you are genuine and don’t constantly criticize, then I believe that trusting relationships can be developed in this way.
On the opposite side of the equation, when dealing with people being managed, I’ve heard the following complaints:
- The boss doesn’t know who I am or what I do!
Regardless of the truth of this statement, ‘walking the floor’ can show that you know your staff and appreciate what they do.
- We don’t know the boss, we never see her.
Making regular time to ‘walk the floor’ will mean you are more visible to your staff, they will know who you are and it will help show that you are accessible and interested in them.
- When things go well, she gets the credit and when they don’t, it’s our fault!
Again, ‘walking the floor’ allows you to give recognition and credit where credit is due and create a culture of problem solving rather than a culture of blame.
Of course, this activity must be done with the right intention and with enough attention for it to work. If not, your team will pick up on it right away – people can always pick up on when you’re not genuine, or if you’re preoccupied with other things.
I believe that ‘walking the floor’ (or making regular time for your employees or team members where you are geographically dispersed or at home) is crucial to major rather than Managerto allow employees to see, feel and hear you, to really experience you and the direction you are taking them, so that two-way relationships of trust can be built.
So if you recognize yourself in any of the statements above, then maybe it’s the right time for you to start ‘walking on the ground’.
How about scheduling some time weekly? After all, you have little to lose and potentially a lot to gain, as a leader and as a company.