Is Managing by Wandering Around Still Relevant?

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/is-managing-by-wandering-around-still-relevant/5018186/

As administrators, sometimes we let ourselves get locked into the ‘front end’ of our buildings. There are phone calls to take, emails to answer, payments to post, and events to plan. It’s easy to find the day coming to a close and we haven’t even taken time to grab lunch or venture beyond the lobby of the building. Recently I recommended to a center administrator that she take the time to walk around her building and experience some of what her staff and families experience as they wind their way through the building to the classroom. She was quick to point out that she hadn’t seen the ‘back end’ of her building in weeks because she had so much to contend with in her front office. When I inquired about what was keeping her in her office so much she said, “Today I have nearly 100 e-mails to sort through, on-line food orders to place, a newsletter to write, a slow Internet connection, a parent complaint, and staff issues to deal with. I will never get out of this office today.” I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “How on earth can you manage a child care program from your office?” I ...