"Oh, we already do that. We just call it Management by Walking Around."

We hear this from leaders in every industry. The assumption that a Gemba walk and MBWA are the same thing is common and wrong. Both involve a manager leaving their desk and going to where people work. That's where the similarity ends.

Different Goals

The goal of a Gemba walk is to examine the current state of a specific process by observing it where it happens. The aim is narrow and focused. A leader might walk the discharge process at a hospital to understand why patients are waiting 90 minutes for paperwork, or observe a specific assembly station to see where flow breaks down.

Management by walking around has no such focus. The goal is general visibility -- seeing what's going on, checking in, saying hello. Done well, MBWA builds relationships. Done badly, it's a lap around the floor.

Different Destinations

A Gemba walk takes the leader to a specific place to observe a specific activity. You know ahead of time where you're going and what you're focused on. You might spend 30 minutes standing in one spot watching a single process. In MBWA, the destination is undefined by design -- you wander, and wherever you end up is where you are.

Different Tactics

During a Gemba Walk, the manager asks very in-depth questions about the process being observed. Who is involved? What materials are used? What do you do? How do you know what to do? When does the task take place? What depends on the outcome? Management by walking around does not involve that degree of depth. Nor, does MBWA usually focus on asking open ended questions, as would a Gemba Walk.

In fact, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, often called the Father of Quality Evolution, said in his 1982 work, Out of the Crisis, “‘Management by walking around’ is hardly ever effective. The reason is that someone in management, walking around, has little idea about what questions to ask, and usually does not pause long enough at any spot to get the right answer.

Organizations that effectively use Gemba Walks will create structure. For example, ThedaCare has created "STAT sheets" that provide consistent questions to be used by leaders at each level. Leaders also spend time at the Gemba to make sure they better understand the work... but at the same time, they don't worry about become experts in the work, because they can rely on the insights and expertise of front-line staff.

Different Outcomes

Opportunities for improvement are identified, but generally aren't acted upon during a Gemba Walk. Managers who visit the Gemba tend to ask questions rather than give answers.

Typically, a period of subsequent reflection and analysis occurs before any action is taken. This provides the opportunity for a fully formed “Plan, Do, Study, Act” cycle. There is no such limit when practicing management by walking around, so on-the-fly process changes are common, changes that are often half-baked and can be more disruptive than helpful.

MBWA isn't useless. Managers who are visible and approachable build trust, and that trust makes Gemba walks more productive when they happen. The problem is when MBWA substitutes for structured observation rather than supplementing it. An organization that does weekly MBWA but no Gemba walks has leaders who are well-liked and poorly informed. An organization that does both has leaders who are visible and effective.

What makes the difference operational is what happens after the walk. In KaiNexus, observations from a Gemba walk become tracked improvement items with owners, deadlines, and measurable outcomes. That infrastructure is what turns a walk into a result -- and it's the piece that MBWA, by design, never provides.

For a complete guide to planning and conducting Gemba walks, see Gemba Walks: Why They Matter and How to Do Them Effectively.

Download this free guide to learn how to have Gemba Walks that actually result in improvement: