Comments on: Fast-slow-fast-slow

By: ejh

ejh — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:42:26 +0000

Which places it in the category of MPOE - Management by Pissing Off the Employees.

By: stuart

stuart — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:00:16 +0000

I thought the idea behind MBWA is not that it causes work while you are present, because obviously it is just another interruption. It is the intended randomn pattern of the walking around that gives a threat of a manager walking in at any time of the day, especially when the employee is playing soltaire, looking at non work websites, downloading porn, or otherwise goofing off that is supposed to cause extra work to result.

By: Henry (not the famous one)

Henry (not the famous one) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:09:22 +0000

MBWA exists—a government agency here in California tried to demote a supervisor because she did not spend enough time wandering into employees’ offices to see whether they “looked productive,” i.e., whether their offices were neat or messy, empty or full (I forget whether neat and full was good—messy and empty probably not, if only because it’s so hard to achieve). I think she was supposed to get the same information from looking at the employees as they sat at their desks.

There is only one good reason to walk into other people’s offices—to prevent them from working.

By: notsneaky

notsneaky — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:14:13 +0000

I never understand these things. If you’re self-confident then you walk however you walk, not worrying about what some fool on some website has to say about how you’re supposed to walk. Some self-confident people walk slow, assuredly and all dignified like. Other self-confident people walk fast, with a point, a purpose, and a place to be be. Neither of them take advice on how they should be walkin’ since, you know, they’re all self-confident and all.

But yes, us fast walkers are hyperactive, easily distracted and annoying as hell. Not really stressed though.

By: Xanthippas

Xanthippas — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:44:42 +0000

They got it right the first time. The only people I know who walk around like they just did a shot of caffeine are hyperactive, stressed, easily distracted and usually (but not always) annoying…at least to a confident, slow-walker such as myself.

By: kharris

kharris — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:35:01 +0000

My guess is that walking speed is a cultural thingee. Or a subcultural thingee. Those who walk fast find those who walk slowly “slack”. Those who walk slow find those who walk fast pushy and annoying. Those with well-to-do urban roots think walking fast is a sign of their importance. Those with rural, servile or warm-weather roots see walking slow as a sign of gentility, or sell-assertion. It’s no wonder two different observers at the Lifehacker level would imagine they have discovered the truth about walking, and find that their truths are diametrically different.

By: Mike Otsuka

Mike Otsuka — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:09:14 +0000

Perhaps you're supposed to run in slow motion as in Chariots of Fire (but not Gallipoli).

By: ejh

ejh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:12:39 +0000

Isn’t there actually a phrase MBWA, Management By Walking Around? I think it’s a criticism but management books are so full of tosh that it’s hard to be sure.

By: Ginger Yellow

Ginger Yellow — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:33:21 +0000

“Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.”

24% faster will make you look like a tool, and 26% would just be silly, but 25% turns you into Gordon Brown.

Anyway, why would you want to feel important when you’re just walking around?

By: chris y

chris y — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:57:54 +0000

have you tried skipping?

By: Barry Freed

Barry Freed — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:41:49 +0000

They must have outsourced that topic to the Ministry of Silly Walks.