Assignment by Shefali Rally

BCA -38
4th Sem
Q1.Write short notes on Management by wandering
around (MBWA) with its advantages

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT BY WALKING AROUND?

You’ve probably encountered plenty of management theories and you
might have your own ideas about an effective management style. A key
part of being a good manager is being in touch with your subordinates. In
order for management to work, you need to be aware of what is going on
around you and this is, essentially, what management by walking around
is about.
So, is management by walking around just about, well, walking? The
theory is both simple, yet often misunderstood. Although the main core is
to have the management moving about, you can’t just expect aimless
walking around the company to solve problems. The method is
essentially a management style in which the managers walk around in
unstructured and unplanned manner amongst the employees.
The objective is to interact with the subordinates and supervise their
work, while they are performing it. According to the proponents, this kind
of interaction will allow the managers to better understand the issues,
ideas and concerns of the subordinates. This in turn will ensure the
management can act on the findings accordingly. The theory is also
referred to as Management by Wandering Around or MBWA. You can
watch the short introductory clip below for a quick definition of the
method.

THE KEY COMPONENTS OF MBWA

So, the broad concept of the theory is about getting the management
moving about. It’s about monitoring the subordinates in their work
environment and creating a more meaningful relationship with them in
order to boost the organization’s successes. But what are the key
components of the management method? The so-called building blocks
you must focus on to practice MBWA and not just end up randomly
walking about.
There are three elements, which are essential for the style: walking
around, striking up conversations, and creating networks. These are the
key objectives the management must focus on in order to implement an
MBWA strategy. First, the manager must take time to walk around
the organization. While the method is based on spontaneous and non-
planned interactions, the manager must consciously focus on getting up
and away from the desk.
In a hectic work environment it can be too easy to sit down and think
about doing the rounds later on, only to realize the day is over. The
manager must create a system, where he or she is compelled to get up and
talk to the employees on a regular basis. The manager must also ensure
the walks are directed to areas directly under his or her command. You
don’t need the manager to walk around parts that don’t involve him or
her, but the manager must get walking amongst his or her subordinates.
Now, when you are walking around the organization as the manager, you
shouldn’t just be aimlessly walking and saying ‘Hi’ to subordinates. The
key element of MBWA states that the manager must strike up
conversations. These conversations can be directly related to the work
the subordinate or the business is doing, or the discussion can
occasionally touch up on private issues. The focus, of course, should be
on learning from these informal situations. The manager can utilize
different situations from corridor discussions to lunch breaks. The
objective is to gather information, which can be beneficial in making
decisions and resolving problems.
Therefore, the idea is to learn more about the current situation of the
subordinates, gain insight into his or her views, and stay on top of any
problems they might encounter both at work and in private (private issues
might directly influence the person’s ability to work).
The conversations are the foundation of the third key component
of creating networks within the organization. The manager wants to
encourage better relationships and open communication. Even when a
single discussion doesn’t lead to direct, new information, the
management might have strengthened the communication between him or
her and the subordinate.
This can ensure that when problems arise, the person is immediately
sharing the news with the management. The objective isn’t solely about
the strengthened relationship between the management and the
subordinates. MBWA can set an example for better communication
throughout the organization.
 In his book, Peters outlined three components behind successful MBWA.
According to Peters, the method works when:

 Managers listen to people – You can’t just walk around and talk,
but you have to listen to what subordinates are telling you. As a manager,
you have to become good at reading the subtle signs people are telling
you. Your subordinates might not feel comfortable being very honest
with you, especially right at the start of implementing the new method.
 Managers use discussion as an opportunity to transmit the
company’s values – The walks and discussions provide you the
possibility to strengthen the subordinate’s understanding of
the company’s values and vision.
 Managers are willing to provide on-the-spot assistance and support –
If your subordinates require help, you must be willing to lead by example
and provide support on the spot. The method has a sense of urgency to it
and it isn’t about “looking into it”, but getting problems fixed quickly.

The benefits of MBWA

There are three core benefits to using the method as a management
strategy: improvements in communication and employee-superior
relationships, effective operational focus, and enhanced efficiency. The
table below outlines the benefits in more detail.

Creating stronger communication channels and improving employee-

superior relationships
 The strategy forces the management to improve the way it communicates
with the subordinates. It emphasizes the importance of good
communication throughout the organization. The managers teach the
practice of listening effectively and talking efficiently to the subordinates.
 The enhanced level of communication helps create an environment of
openness. The discussions are based on positive exchange of ideas and
not enforcement. The managers are not enforcing communication, but
make it part of the fabric of the organization

Helping everyone focus on the correct operational aspects with

work
 The manager meets subordinates in the actual work situation and
environment and therefore, gets a first-hand experience of what is going
 on. This allows him or her to have a better sense of the things that are
happening around him and it will result it enhanced understanding of
the strengths and weaknesses of the organization.

Improving the organization’s efficiency

 Both of the above points can lead to enhancing operational efficiency.
The positive work environment increases work motivation and the
managers have a better understanding of the correct operations
decisions that must be made.

Q2.Write advantages of team briefing?

Team briefings boast numerous benefits for employees, team leaders and
organizations as a whole. Let's look at a few.

 Encourages two-way communication

Team briefings provide an environment where everyone in attendance

can be an active participant. This may differ from a more formal meeting
setting where a leader or manager does most of the talking and attendees
are limited in asking questions or offering feedback.

 Aligns everyday goals to business goals

Instead of waiting until an annual meeting rolls around to discuss

important organizational goals, regular team briefings can help keep open
lines of communication between leadership and front-line workers. This
helps keep employees engaged, with a plan to follow for the day ahead.

 Creates immediate problem-solving opportunities

Some meetings exist simply to brainstorm ideas to solve problems.

Regular team briefings allow the team to be proactive in handling
problems, instead of reactive. In real life, problems pop up in the
workplace from one day to the next. In a morning briefing, say, a leader
can address a problem with a poor customer service experience from the
previous day.

 Stops the rumor mill

 All workplaces are ripe environments for the spreading of rumors and
partial truths. Thanks to their regular frequency, team briefings can
squash rumors quickly. Employees can ask questions for clarification
before they become pervasive. Say Tara and Tracy heard through the
office grapevine yesterday that commissions for employees bringing in
less than $1,000 in sales daily are going to be discontinued. In a team
briefing, their manager, Trish, is able to refute that rumor and put
employees' minds at ease.

 Addresses areas of deficiency

No one likes to get to his or her annual performance review to find out
that something you were doing was incorrect. Team briefings eliminate
that problem by allowing managers to address potential problems before
they become major issues.

 Reinforcement – reinforces management through getting a team together

where managers are seen as leaders and reliable sources of information;
 Commitment – increases commitment to the task and the organisations
through talking to people about how the team and organisation is doing
and/or aiming for;
 Clarity – helps prevent some misunderstandings and ensure employees
receive information from the right person at the right time;
 Change – helps people to accept change;
 Formality – helps control the informal communications of the ‘grapevine’
and ensures that information finding its way on to the shop or office
floor; and
 Consistency – provides a base of information.

Q3.What are Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention?

Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention serve as a framework for
organisations to solve problems with the execution of certain tasks in a
workplace. This is done by means of interventions. An intervention, in
this context, is when a person or procedure intervenes in order to change
or prevent something. That is, an act aimed at resolving a problem.
Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention offers the user a helping hand in
analysing the problem and selecting the right style from which to
approach the problem.

John Heron ‘s model consists of two basic intervention styles. These are
authoritative and facilitative. If an intervention is authoritative, that
means the person who is helping provides the other with information,
challenges them, or makes a suggestion. If an intervention is facilitative,
the person who is helping looks for solutions and ideas, and tries to help
the other make decisions.

Intervention Styles
Different forms of interventions are effective in different situations. As
said, there are two basic styles, authoritative and facilitative. These two
basic styles are subdivided into six styles. Each of Heron’s Six Categories
of Intervention is explained in a practical way below.

Authoritative-prescriptive
Out of the six intervention styles, the authoritative-prescriptive one is the
simplest and probably the most common form of help. This form of
intervention involves approaching a person in a straightforward manner
and telling them what to do. They get to the point quickly and don’t look
for alternatives; it’s simply a matter of delivering a message containing
instruction. Input or ideas are not really sought. It’s important that the
instruction or the advice be concrete. The person who is being helped
should take action by themselves immediately after the intervention.

This style is often used when, due to time constraints, someone cannot
wait until another person is ready to carry out tasks. An example from the
real world of this style being used is in the case of a new employee who
has no experience yet. If it happens with an employee with plenty of
experience, that is usually indicative of a lack of trust between manager
and employee.

Authoritative-informative
The second of Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention is authoritative-
informative. This style involves passing on important pieces of
information to a person, of which the giver knows the receiver will need
them for their tasks. This information comes from years of experience,
and sharing this knowledge is crucial in order to ensure the right
knowledge ends up at the right people. Without the right information,
teams can’t work effectively, so a trustworthy source of information is a
gold mine.

This style is often used with less experienced employees who are known
to not yet know everything, or not yet have developed the right skills.
Regardless of the exact reason, they are not yet skilled and developed
enough to work fully independently within the organisation.

Authoritative-confronting
The third of Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention is the most aggressive
in the model. An authoritative-confronting form of intervention involves
asking a person to change their vision and perspective and approach a
certain project or task from a different angle. Even though the helper still
acts in a positive manner, such a remark or confrontation will not leave
the other unaffected. After all, it comes down to the fact that an
employee’s working method is not effective and needs to change.

This form of intervention may be used when an employee needs to be

stimulated to think independently. A manager will still supervise the
employee at all times.

Facilitative-cathartic
The fourth intervention style from Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention
is facilitative-cathartic. This is the first of the facilitative forms of
interventions. A cathartic approach may be needed when team members
are hitting a wall when it comes to productivity. It offers support to the
employees by giving them the chance of expressing their emotions and
sharing their frustrations. With these feelings having been made public, a
constructive solution may then be sought collectively.

This approach is often considered when a skilled team member starts to

slow down without any explanation.

Facilitative-catalytic
Facilitative-catalytic is the fifth form of interventions from Heron’s Six
Categories of Intervention. This form is used to let an employee learn
from themselves. By offering them a way to reflect on themselves and
their performance, they may discover weaknesses and learn from them.

The goal of this approach is to help employees think about their own
performance and potential.

Facilitative-supportive
The last of Heron’s Six Categories Intervention is, in effect, a confidence-
building session. Instead of taking on a confrontational style like in the
authoritative forms, this form causes others to develop a good feeling
about themselves. Characteristic for this style is that the helper reminds
the one helped of their qualities, performances, or qualifications they
have obtained. At the end of the conversation, the employee should feel
like they can take on the world again.

This intervention style is mainly intended to strengthen employees’ trust

and self-confidence.

Application
The six forms of intervention, divided across two basic styles, can be
used for many business problems employees and managers may have. A
manager, for example, can take on an informative approach with an
employee who was recently given more responsibilities. The manager
knows what is awaiting that employee and is therefore able to effectively
inform and prepare them. In another situation, it would be better to use a
confrontational intervention style, for example when an employee’s
productivity is lagging behind. The supportive or cathartic interventions
allows for frustrations to be expressed and for the employee to become
more productive once again.