Gemba Walk - Management By Walking Around (MBWA)
Online, March 22, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Gemba is a Japanese word which means 'actual place' or 'real place'. In a business context, gemba refers to the shop floor, so a going for a 'gemba walk' literally means to walk around the shop floor to observe the real processes of a business.
Sadly, gemba walks, or management by walking around (MBWA) as they are more commonly known, are seldom undertaken by modern managers, or if they are, they are done ineffectively. This is nothing short of a disaster for the businesses that employ these managers, because, when done properly, MBWA is one of the most effective methods for improving a business.
In the first article below, Lean Consultant Kevin Meyer explains how the popular Undercover Boss television series is demonstrating how NOT to do a gemba walk, and in the second article, leadership expert Wally Bock provides some simple guidelines for effective MBWA.
How Not To Do A Gemba Walk:
Over the last several weeks many of us have watched episodes of Undercover Boss. The premise is that a CEO has the brilliant insight, with the prodding of television producers, that he should visit the 'front lines' to see what is really happening in his company. So off he goes, announcing to his stunned staff that he's 'going undercover' to actually visit the troops, changing clothes in the executive locker room that all those companies seem to have but no company I've worked for has ever had, and checks into a cheap motel. The horrors!
It gets better. Usually he then acts dumb and ignorant, often gets fired from some entry level position, and is flabbergasted when he finds that some incredibly smart or dedicated people are not being utilized or that they have tear-rendering personal challenges that the company has somehow overlooked.
Yes, it still gets even better. The executive eventually returns to the hallowed cherry-paneled halls, can finally put his suit back on, and then summons his stricken underlings to his beloved headquarters. He meets again with each of them, reveals his identity, and does some good deed for them that changes their lives but with the exception of a couple minor programs does nothing to change the underlying condition.
Pathetic, truly pathetic.
Visit the link below to continue reading the article:
http://www.managementnuggets.com/2011/03/gemba-walk-management-by-walking-around.html
How To Wander Effectively:
Last week, the New York Times ran an interview with Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy, under the headline, "You Want Insights? Go to the Front Lines." It's that old MBWA song again.
The reason that "Management by Wandering Around" (MBWA) gets such good press is that it works when it's done right. Sam Walton used to urge his corporate managers to hit the road by telling them that "Nothing important happens in Bentonville."
It seems so simple. You just head out to the field. There you have an opportunity to share your vision of the company and listen to real people to find out what life is really like on the front lines. Well, maybe.
The fact is that MBWA is about as easy to mess up as it is to do well. Here are some guidelines for effective management wandering.
Visit the link below to continue reading the article:
http://www.managementnuggets.com/2011/03/gemba-walk-management-by-walking-around.html