JS Tip 580: MBWA and the Gemba Walk

MBWA: Management by wandering around.

Critical word: wandering. Unplanned movement within the workplace. Unstructured. Unexpected. Not to “check up on people,” not to “keep an eye on ‘em,” but to engage with those who do the work.

“How you doin’ today?”

“Do you have everything you need?” 

“How can we (leaders, managers, supervisors) do better?”

And listen. 

Your best information comes from those closest to the work.

The term attributes to leadership at Hewlett-Packard in the 1970s.

Tom Peters and Robert Waterman used the term in their In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies.

The Gemba Walk: Same thing as MBWA, but developed at Toyota.

Gemba (occasionally Genba, 現場) means “the actual place” in Japanese. The place where the work gets done. The factory floor. The production line. The lab. With those closest to the work.  

So . . . 

Talk to people. Be curious. Be interested in them and their work. Ask questions and listen. Remember their names and—next time—speak personally to them.

When you get back, make notes. Use the notes improve the organization. Attribute the improvements to those who suggested them: “This is the Linda Morrow Technical Library.”

Respect confidences. Compliment people for what they say. Never reprimand.

Dress appropriately. Get rid of the suit (if you still wear a suit).

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