Management by walking around
Jack Welch found that daily interaction with his workforce not only made him a better leader, but that new ideas were more quickly communicated, analyzed, and implemented because of it.
When I was in a support role, I had no choice but to go face to face with my end users. What was great about that is that I had an opportunity to really understand what my individual people and groups needed. People knew that they could reach out to me directly and I would either solve their problem, or find the person who could. We had a greater ability to solve whatever came up and in less time because I had a clearer understanding of the needs and requirements.
As a project manager, I have always preferred the ability to reach out to my teams in both meetings and "water cooler" contacts- the casual day by day. It was often in a chat over the coffee pot that we were able to get the most work done.
Even though you and I are able to value your work when you are at your desk, it really IS harder for those who don't have that ability. They have no frame of reference. Face time can be just as important for some people as results. It is the face time that tells your end user that you are engaged with solving their issues.
