Much has been written about the potential for management to become isolated from customers

and employees. This phenomenon often occurs not just within top management, but also within middle management.

I've seen this isolation phenomenon in many companies. The symptoms are quite apparent: Managers spend a great deal of time talking to themselves and studying operating numbers. They spend precious little time with customers or with employees, trying to understand the system of the business. And when they do spend time with them, they often do not probe deeply into needs, concerns, and opportunities. This phenomenon, often referred to as being" internally focused," can be tremendously insidious.

Although the need for understanding and spending time with customers has been well documented, I find few managers spending time in the field. The benefits of doing so are clear. A visit with your counterparts at customers' distribution centers, for example, not only builds relationships that can prove useful when problems arise, but also uncovers numerous opportunities to enhance your performance and deepen your company's linkage with those customers.

There are many ways to connect with and understand employee perspectives. Some companies have found formal sessions in which senior managers solicit ideas from employees to be very useful. These can be run either as focus groups or as structured discussions.

Managers also should exploit every opportunity to gather organizational knowledge from employees. Some successful managers collect employees' opinions by what often is referred to as" managing by walking around" or the" 10-minute cup of coffee. "They may, for example, go to employees' offices and solicit, their opinions. Or at lunch or when they take a cup of coffee, they" mix with the troops" and solicit their input.

Rather than talk about the latest game, you can solicit employees' ideas by asking questions like: What are you working on？ How's it going？ What's good about our organization？ What could be better？ How could we better serve our customers or improve our processes？ What do you think we Should be doing differently？

You'll be surprised at how valuable a" 10-minute cup of coffee" together with a brief conversation with an employee can be. It will make you a more effective manager.

What is the common problem in management？

A．Infrequent contact with customers and employees.

B．Managers spend little time on study.

C．Managers do not know their employees well.

D．Managers lack of experience.