I highly appreciate a management style known by the acronym MBWA - "Management By Walking Around" - which in all its simplicity is about the manager setting time aside to get around in her (or his) organization, talk to people and understand what is happening.
As a matter of fact, I have never met very many managers who makes use of the method; for sure, they can stand on a stage in front of the employees and do one-way communication, but when for once they manage to come by the desks of the employees, it typically causes the reaction: "My goodness, there must be something terribly wrong since the manager comes here. "
If a leader does MBWA, I see several benefits. Firstly, the manager is better informed about what actually occupies people, but not least it significantly reduces the distance between the leader and the employees - and in good times it establishes a connection between the manager and the employees; a connection which can be extremely valuable in difficult situations.
But unfortunately, there are too few leaders who find time in their schedule to do it on a regular basis. Last time, I saw something similar to MBWA was actually back at the university where the rector had made it his routine to visit all departments in the week before Christmas to wish the students and staff happy holidays. Although once a year is not much, is it, after all - and unfortunately - more than what I experience as average.
(Translated from Fodgænger, originally published March 3rd, 2017).