Successful Business Leaders ‘Walk the Floor’

I’m sure most business leaders and managers have heard the saying “walk the floor.” But are we doing it? What does that 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 improving morale, performance, and results is crucial.

They say it helps to show employees that you care about them, that you value their knowledge, skills and opinion, and that you 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 troubleshooting tips.

These business leaders believe that it helps foster engagement and drive action to change problem areas much faster than it would otherwise, because by dealing with them personally, people see that you are serious and this can empower them to act quickly. .

When I ask the business owners and managers I work with if they ‘walk the track’, some common themes emerge. See if you recognize any of these statements:

1. I don’t have time to go out and meet my staff; I’m too busy trying to get my job done / get new business / fix your problems. (I’m sure there are a multitude of statements you can substitute here – you get the point!).

   If you say so yourself right now, then clearly you are prioritizing other things, that is, you don’t think it is important enough!

   What if you could see this as one of the most important parts of your role as a business leader?

2. I am not staffed, I work with associates and they are not in the same office as me 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 be applied in other ways. For example, you can set up recurring meetings over Skype.

3. My staff shouldn’t need supervision, they should be doing the work they’ve been paid for anyway!

   While I agree that most team members don’t need 24/7 monitoring, most will respond knowing that you are genuinely interested in what they are doing, that they feel like their job really it matters to you, the company and your customers.

4. It will just antagonize them if I go out and ask questions. Or they will think that I don’t trust them and am controlling them.

   While some may feel this way, in my experience and in the experience of many of my clients, most will not, as long as you are genuine, ask questions, listen and give proper praise.

   Also, I assume that sometimes you will monitor them or rather monitor the progress of actions. Again, as long as you are genuine and don’t constantly criticize, I believe that trusting relationships can be developed this way.

On the opposite side of the equation, when dealing with people being managed, I have heard the following complaints:

1. The boss doesn’t know who I am or what I do!

   Regardless of the veracity of this statement, “walking the floor” can show that you know your staff and appreciate what they do.

2. We don’t know the boss, we never see her.

   Taking time to regularly “walk the floor” will mean that you are more visible to your staff, they will know who you are, and it will help show that you are approachable and interested in them.

3. When things go well, she gets the credit and when they don’t, it’s our fault!

   Again, “walk the word” to give recognition and credit where it is due and create problem solving rather than a culture of blame.

Of course, this activity must be done with the right intention and with enough attention to make it work. Otherwise, your team will see it right away – people can always tell when you’re not genuine or worried about other things.

I believe that ‘walking the floor’ (or spending regular time with your employees or team members where you are geographically dispersed or at home) is crucial to Principal instead of Manager, to allow employees to see it, feel it and hear it, to truly experience it and the direction it takes them, so that two-way trusting relationships can be built.

So if you recognize yourself in any of the above statements, then maybe the time is right for you to start ‘walking 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.