Jul

18

MBWA: Management By Walking Around

Filed Under education

Management By Walking Around

The term MBWA is a “strategic management” term dating back decades. Apparently, it originated with the Hewlett Packard company, where HP Managers would seldom be at their desks. Instead, they would be found out with their employees, walking around the company. This idea of MBWA is having a revival of sorts in education, where managers are being encouraged to regularly visit classrooms via “Walk Throughs“.  In particular, principals are being encouraged to regularly visit many classrooms in sequence. The key here is that the visits are non-threatening and have specific goals in mind.

For example, the visits might check classroom security, or check the lighting in classrooms, or checking for textbook use and availability. Also, these visits can be directed toward particular teaching strategies, perhaps as followup to a recent inservice. The key to these walk throughs is that they are not putative, and that teachers and staff know up front that the principal will be performing walk throughs on a consistent basis.

Here are Twelve Guidelines for Management by Walking Around.

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