Managing Walking (MBWA) is a term first coined by management guru Peter Drucker in the 1960s…and later promoted by the likes of Tom Peters, and adopted by several large companies like Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Corning Glass, GE and others. Languishing in recent years, there now seems to be a resurgence of interest through various commercial outlets.

And that’s a lucky thing, because MBWA has never been more important than today. Employees are constantly bombarded by negativity from the mainstream media (we all know bad news sells better) and as a result, rumors abound. That’s why it’s up to every small business owner to spend as much time as possible connecting with the people who make their business work. Unfortunately, large companies have lost sight of the power of this simple act. HP was probably the last major corporation to formally practice MBWA, and that was many years ago.

Of course, just walking or wandering around aimlessly isn’t enough, you also have to talk to people, engage everyone, and make sure your message is consistent, or they’ll quickly ignore you. Keep your employees informed about the realities of your business, both the good and the bad. Nothing dispels rumors and fear like the unvarnished truth. Nothing builds trust and respect like objective and frequent information: sharing everything that happens.

Just as important, you must listen to your employees. All the employees talk to each other about the business, and they usually know things about your business that you don’t… so ask them what they think. Ask them what the company can do better. Ask them what you can do to help them do their jobs better. Make sure you really listen to what they have to say and then thank them. Of course, you regularly thank them for their contributions anyway, don’t you?

The same applies to people outside of your organization… your customers, suppliers, creditors, bankers, investors, board members, etc. Pick up the phone and call them from time to time. If so, ask how you can help them. Everyone connected to your business needs to hear from you – everyone is excited about what’s going on, and when they’re fully informed and connected, they too can help you and your business, in ways you may never have thought of.

Frequent and consistent communication not only contributes to an informed organization, but provides the foundation for meaningful communication among all. This is what encourages innovation.

Doesn’t all this MBWA stuff take a lot of time? Well, it takes consistent time commitment at your workplace, but not as much as you might think. If you make it part of your daily routine and overall management style, MBWA will become second nature and part of your company culture, and it definitely beats “meetings”.

Are you MBWA? If not, try it honestly: spend more time with the people who make your business successful. You can make everyone in your organization feel like they are a real part of your business. This is what can give you a better chance of winning during down times… and beyond.