The leaders usually do not know anything about the problems that occur at a lower level. “Management by wandering around” is a very effective way to ensure that you understand the company from the ground up to the top.
Gregg Steinhafel, chairman and CEO of U.S. retail company Target Organization, spent much of his time to ‘shop around’.
“I think it’s important for a leader to not isolated. You need to go to the source. You have to spend much time in your store and the store competitors. I come and I want to see how it feels to be in stores? Is my store clean? Is the brand standards are correct? I check the path checks quickly, if there are people waiting in line? And I walked down the store to see if this was an environment that attract buyers? Do I feel happy to come here? Are there interesting things can be found at the end of the corridor? Do I believe that there is great value and a team that has trained who came to greet me and then said, ‘Can I help you?’ Then I look for things that I think our guests want in our Target store and that’s how I go into a store. “
John Kotter, author of business books and a lecturer at Harvard Business School, recalled a conversation he had done when consulted for Dow Jones & Company, America’s financial information company.
An executive of Dow-Jones said, “We do not allow us to curb corporate structure. We always lead directly to individuals who have the information we need. This makes us able to stay connected with more junior staff and low rates and give a feeling the first time about who they are and what they can do well. “
Nothing can replace the activities of visiting the front lines, where the company meet its customers. Leaders can be easily isolated from colleagues who work in the vanguard. These colleagues to know what the barriers are, and will indicate whether the leaders want it to be realized in fact already been successfully delivered or not. Quality in the delivery requires high accuracy at all levels within the company. Corporate hierarchy to prevent a direct communication: speaking directly to the person most likely to understand the problems will be able to bring you more familiar with many talented people within the company.




