The Front Lines of Leadership
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This past June, my grandson Andrew and I attended the Marine Corps parade at the Marine barracks here in Washington, D.C. It's the home of the commandant of the Corps, who lives in the oldest federal building in Washington, which was built in 1805. It's a great thrill to view the parade and watch the Marine Corps band and their drum and bugle corps pass in review together with the headquarters Marines in formation. I think it's the best event in Washington.
Before the parade, I took my grandson on a tour of the commandant's home. I showed him the portrait of General Vandergrift, who was the commandant of the Marine Corps at the end of World War II. But, more importantly, General Vandergrift led the Marines ashore at Guadalcanal and led them to victory in the first invasion of Japanese territory in the Second World War.
I read that the Marines on Guadalcanal were willing to follow General Vandergrift into fierce battles against overwhelming odds because they knew he cared about them personally and was right by their side during the battles. Many of these fights took place at night and every morning, General Vandergrift would personally tour the front lines and the trenches to check on his troops to see if they were cared for and let them know that their general was with them.
My dad invented what we call MBWA, which is Management by Wandering Around. He was always out in his Hot Shoppes. He wanted those restaurants to know he cared about the employees. He was talking to his people and the customers, checking on the food to make sure the hot food was hot and the cold food was cold.
Through the years, I've tried to spend as much time as possible in our hotels. I get a good sense for how the people are doing and what their challenges are. I make a lot of notes on 3x5 cards and I find a lot of things that we can always improve. To me, this is, perhaps, my most important contribution. I really want to hear from our people. I can't visit all of our 3,200 hotels, but I hope all our managers will continue to let me know by letter or email how we're doing and how we can always improve.
I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
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Posted By: secret net (8/12/2009)
Comment: That is an amazing story. It pushes us to focus more on listening to customer needs and employees also. Great way to build good will.
Posted By: replica watches (8/11/2009)
Comment: However, I do not still understand what is MBWA.haha^^^Continue learning.
Posted By: replica watches (8/11/2009)
Comment: Your father is a great person, the same to you!
Posted By: Marco Smith (8/11/2009)
Comment: I enjoy my stays at Marriott but loathe dealing with my rewards program. 30 minute waits to talk to someone by telephone chasing down missing stay requests is insane. Wonderful hotels Mr. Marriott, but some aspects of customer service could use a little MBWA.
Posted By: DawnMarie Helin (8/11/2009)
Comment: On your travels, stop in an meet Favia at the Courtyard Marriott in High Point, NC. His abilities are a future-leader-of-tomorrow, no doubt. He made what started out as a terrible experience that I was willing to shout from the mountaintops, to one of the most complimentary notes I can publish. MBWA at this site, Sir, and you will meet the future of your company.
Posted By: peter keemss (8/11/2009)
Comment: nice to read but why do you ,mr marriott,not also listen to your MVCI customers when they have a serious problem and have to sell their weeks back to marriott instead of pointing just to contract paragraphs,so you always win but not on the human side.
Posted By: Vivien Meleen (8/11/2009)
Comment: On July 23rd I wrote a scathing email about my frustration with booking my timeshare. I am a Platinum member and was initially very frustrated because I couldn't believe that I was experiencing the initial problems with my favorite hotel chain. My faith in Marriott has been restored because I received several in-person phone calls from Marriott Vacation Club to help me through the process and successfully secured a weeks stay for the following week in 2010. I have always been very happy with the Marriott chain and spent the last week at a Residence Inn (Bellevue, WA), Courtyard (Foothill Ranch, CA) and Renaissance (LAX, CA) - all terrific. The best compliment is when something goes wrong and the business resolves the issues and the customer returns.
Posted By: Paulo Salvador (8/10/2009)
Comment: I'm surprised to read that the term MBWA was invented by Mr Marriot's dad. I always knew that the term was invented by Sam Walton and meant "Management by Walking Around".
Posted By: Magesh Kumar (8/10/2009)
Comment: Dear Mr.Bill,
Your blogs are something like a syllabus for Doctrate studies, as you are sharing not only your own experience also Mr.Marriott's Business ideas and noone will be surprised, if I say,Mr.Marriott is a legend.Just to thank him-we've to follow his ideas, at the same time we've to impliment something more. As you have mentioned about MBWA, I feel, adding an "I" for interaction to MBWA, then it would make a great difference.Let it be as ""Management By Interacting and Walking Around(MBIWA)" "I" is necessary to remind our people that they must interact while walking through their departments. Thank you!!
Posted By: Aron@hotels in hawaii (8/8/2009)
Comment: really your post is nice ,i like it and appreciate it.hotels in hawaii
Posted By: Christopher Viegas (8/7/2009)
Comment: So very true. MBWA ensures that you feel the pulse of the organisation and stay in touch. It also helps to confirm ( or refute) a few things your top executives potray !
Posted By: Clarence Wittman (8/6/2009)
Comment: I have used the technique of MBWA during my many years of management/supervision, but never put a name to it. Many thanks to your Dad for putting words to it.
Posted By: Keneth Mitchell (8/5/2009)
Comment: Walking Around is a great way to manage !!!
Posted By: Ronald E. Cisco (8/5/2009)
Comment: This is for Mr. Bill Marriott to past onto his management team. I like the MBWA, however in to-days management system they need more than that to understand just what you mean by the MBWA system. So sir if I can let me past onto you my system which has helped me become who I am today and that's........They must " inspect what they expect and most of all remind then, that Nothing Happens Unless You Make It Happen"
Thank You Sir for letting me be part of the Marriott Team, because when ever I stay at a Marriott I always past this onto the Employees as a gift from me a Customer.
Posted By: Jim White (8/5/2009)
Comment: MBWA is not all that your father, you and i suspect your Grandson have passed on to us, your dedicated veterans. Marines, Navy, Army and USAF,USCG as well as our family of US Merchant Marines, have all had the honor to stay in your facitities, sometimes with family and many times not as the mission calls for. You have inspired your servers, bellpersons, phone operators to always give the "chivalry" of service a source that i believe was passed down from your father.To take time for your staff is always the mission in corporate or military leadership. If I may be so bold as to thank you on behalf of the bluestarfam.org the leading military family network, If I may be so bold to thank you from our veterans for all your team does to make us comfortable, Thank you Marriott Worldwide.
I remain,
VR + Jim
Posted By: JESSICA SOTELO (8/5/2009)
Comment: Congratulations Mr. Marriott . I'm glad to know that you keep your interest being in Hot Shoppes . A Manager has to be always around and it's good you encorauge your people to share their experiences and needs with you , to keep a good labour enviroment. That's why you are one of the Ten Top Companies in the World .
God bless you ...
Jessica Mery Sotelo
Jessica Sotelo Flores
Posted By: Mary (8/5/2009)
Comment: Bill Marriott, you are the best! I've been reading a lot of your posts lately and I just can't not comment anymore. With this post, the one about the terrible tragedy at the Marriott hotel and the one about your committment to your employees' health care, well, I just have to comment! You are a very sensitive, intelligent and inspiring person. No wonder Marriott hotels are the best!
Posted By: ARTER E. WOOD JR (8/5/2009)
Comment: THANK YOU MR. MARRIOTT FOR ALL YOUR GREAT SERVICE, WHILE ON THE ROAD FOR OVER 25 YEARS. WHEN MY FAMILY WAS WITH ME, I ALWAYS KNEW THEY WERE SAFE, AND LOOKED OUT FOR BY THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
LIFE TIME PLATINUM--ARTER E. WOOD JR. (BUDDY)
