Lessons Learned from ‘Undercover Boss’

Ένα realitty show που δεν μας έχει έρθει (ακόμα τουλάχιστον) στην Ελλάδα και το οποίο σχετίζεται με την ΔΑΔ είναι το Undercover Boss, όπου CEOs και άλλα ανώτατα στελέχη μεγάλων οργανισμών εργάζονται ως entry-level εργαζόμενοι, εν αγνοία των συναδέλφων τους για ένα μικρό σχετικά χρονικό διάστημα. Περισσότερα γι' αυτό αλλά και για τις συνέπειές του στο ακόλουθο άρθρο από το SHRM.

In the television series “Undercover Boss,” CEOs, owners and other high-level executives go “undercover”—donning disguises, aliases, and bogus biographies—and work temporarily as entry-level employees in their organizations. Working closely with various employees, the participants get a chance to see what it is like to work for the company and how they are perceived as a leader.
Participants invariably get into some amusing predicaments, unearth problems within the organization and get to know a few employees. Toward the end of each show, the executive’s identity is revealed, dedicated employees are rewarded, and the executive works to address the issues and breakdowns in the organization that employees helped bring to light.
Despite the happy-ending-in-an-hour format and the requisite reality television-manufactured tension and tear-jerker moments, the program offers some valuable human resource gems:

• Being an effective CEO takes courage. The CEOs on “Undercover Boss” might get some great publicity for their organizations, but only by being brave enough to expose themselves and their management policies on television. Heading up a company is a challenging job that requires risk taking and unconventional ideas.
• Saying “thank you” matters. In every episode, the executive calls a few special employees to his or her office for a debriefing. At that time, the CEO makes sure to thank employees for their hard work and dedication to the company. This is a highly anticipated part of the show, as viewers live vicariously through these employees as the CEO says “thanks.”
• Rewards should be personal. The visit to the CEO’s office includes a reward tailored to each individual. The CEO doles out perks tied to something employees need or a goal they want to achieve. Examples include training and development, help with educational costs, financial rewards, a new assignment or promotion, solutions for work/life balance and vacations.
• Small changes can make a big difference. Sometimes the management changes that boost morale and productivity the most on the show aren’t expensive or expansive. In an episode featuring ABM Industries, a commercial building maintenance company, one of the housekeepers explained to the CEO that it was difficult to do her job in a dress, which was the company’s uniform at the time. During the show, her wish to work in a shirt and pants created a new policy for all female employees. She was thrilled by this small, but not insignificant, change.
• Every company has room for improvement. During each episode it is easy to see the problem with certain programs, products or policies. It is okay to acknowledge that there are problems within an organization. The goal should be to address issues rather than ignore them.
• Sometimes there’s a breakdown in the management process. Most CEOs who appear on the show are surprised by at least one issue they identify on their undercover journey. In some cases this is because information has not trickled down to every employee. HR managers need to create opportunities for gathering—and spreading—information without putting the CEO in a wig and glasses.

Giving Employees a Voice
Organizations don’t have to send their CEO undercover to identify issues that need correcting. All they need to do is give employees a voice. Engagement surveys give employees a voice but can be expensive and time-consuming to administer and analyze. Moreover, poorly designed or managed surveys can do more harm than good. If the questions aren’t phrased accurately, data can be misinterpreted and companies can end up implementing engagement programs that isolate and confuse employees rather than reignite their passion.
There are other ways to get feedback from employees—formally and informally—so leaders can identify problems and work on solutions:

• Let managers know that it is their job to check in with employees, to ask for feedback and to consider employee requests carefully, rather than giving an automatic “no.” Managers should have the power to address problems that employees identify.
• Let employees know that they are responsible for speaking up. They can’t complain about a problem unless they are working with management to fix it. Naturally, employees need to feel safe from punishment when sharing grievances.
• Have a suggestion box. Depending on the size of the company, suggestions can be collected in an actual box, on a virtual discussion board, at a dedicated e-mail address or during staff meetings. Although there are issues with each of these methods, the value of the input tends to outweigh the negatives.
• Encourage leadership to take a trip into the culture. The leadership team should be leaving their corner offices to go where employees go: the cafeteria, gym and break room. Informal conversations are a great way to gather valuable information.

Reality TV shows are far from reality. It is not possible to unearth and fix every management problem and reward exceptional employees in an hour or even a week. Yet insights can be gained by watching someone else’s CEO squirm on network television.