Know Your Employees. Know Their Jobs. Change Your Company.

There is often a huge disconnect between upper management and the people on the front lines who really run your company and make it work every day. I watched a reality show tonight that really drove this home, Yes, a reality show. But if you run a company, it might be something worth watching. It's called Undercover Boss and it's on CBS on Sunday nights. I watched it for the first time; the story of a waste management CEO who went undercover and spent four days working the jobs that basically paid his salary, including vacuuming out Porta Potties. It was an incredibly eye opening experience for him. He even got fired from one of the jobs because he basically stunk at it.

There is no real reason to go into the details of the show. the point is that many CEOs and managers in their ivory towers have no idea what the folks on the line every day have to deal with to get through the day to make sure those in upper management make their paychecks and bonuses. The experience of this CEO working with people on a personal level he had never experienced before moved him to tears, and me. Just a few days on the front lines opened his eyes enough to make sweeping changes that invigorated and changed morale throughout the entire company.

We have said this many times on this blog. Your employees are your best evangelists. If you understand what they do for you and cultivate a culture they can believe in and embrace, they will take you to heights beyond any business plan.

This show really drives home the need to know your company, its people, their motivations and their jobs from the bottom up. Go undercover, find out what it really takes to drive your bottom line. Go to war with the people who battle everyday to make you successful. This is one reality show that really could inspire you to help you change your company for the better. Next weekend, the CEO of Hooters goes undercover. The previews indicate an extremely eye-opening experience.

Comments

[Greg]

Great post, Russ. Seems like common sense, but it took a reality show to really drive home the wisdom and benefits of this concept.