Have you heard about Undercover Boss? It’s a new series on CBS and it will premier after the Superbowl. CEOs go undercover and work alongside employees to get a sense of the jobs, the morale, and the overall mood of the organization. I’m excited to see the show because the British version had great reviews.
The CEOs who are participating are the real deal, by the way. Waste Management. White Castle. 7-Eleven. Hooters. These are companies you know.
How do you get the leaders of some well-known American companies to leave their executive desks and take on entry-level jobs in their own corporations — while television cameras are rolling? “We asked them very nicely,” said Stephen Lambert, the executive producer of “Undercover Boss,” a reality series that explores that very premise. On Monday CBS said “Undercover Boss” would have its premiere on Feb. 7 after the Super Bowl. CBS identified some of the participating executives as Joseph DePinto, president of 7-Eleven; Dave Rife, above, an owner of White Castle; and Coby G. Brooks, president of Hooters. They work clandestinely alongside their rank-and-file employees, looking for insights into their businesses while they get their hands dirty flipping burgers and emptying grease traps. – NY Times
Sadly enough, many CEOs could go undercover very easily. They are unrecognizable to most employees. An alias isn’t even needed.
This preview made me cry — and as a former HR professional, I am excited to see the President and Chief Operating Officer of Waste Management address employer branding, employee engagement, and FLSA issues on television. I wonder what Jay Romans, who is the Senior Vice President of HR at Waste Management, has to say about this episode!
I also wonder what your CEO would see & hear if he/she went undercover. Would you like to see your CEO go undercover? Would your CEO even work with the riff raff?!
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This looks awesome. Can’t wait to see it. The woman’s mad dash to punch in at the time clock really was a good example of policying-run-amok.
Finally, a reality show that makes sense.
Well, now that I’m bawling after that preview, I’m really digging this. Did the employees think a documentary and/or training video was being made?
I’d do it. Go undercover. Somebody have a tissue? Please?
I hope one of them shouts – A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
It would be interesting to see our CEO attempt this. His face is on the cover of our monthly newsletter so I’d like to see how many make the connection even if he used a different name.
I would love to see the backlash from the lady running to the timecard to clock back in. That’s crazy and whoever told her that was the policy needs to be beaten with a wet stick.
Not one of the issues outlined (negative ones) should have needed a CEO to be involved. This speaks more to the management team as a whole than anything. Why couldn’t the office assistant/scale operator/et.al.’s boss have done what the CEO did?
I did like the idea of bringing the guy up to speak to the management team – but getting feedback from those that ultimately deliver on the promises Execs make, should be standard operating procedure (SOP).
It’s a shame that we need a television show to highlight basic, good, management.
Wow, I wish more CEO’s would realize that their view from the top is not an accurate reflection of what goes on at the bottom. Maybe then they’ll get out there too.
Laurie –
I CAN’T WAIT for this show! I’m hoping for the best leadership blogging material since the Office. I’d love to see every CEO do it for at least a day, and then spend another day with customers.
@RobinS It’s so un-American to dock an employee two minutes for being one minute late. Is this China? The Marianas Islands? Give me a break.
@BZ I knew you’d like this one.
@Kevin TV cameras in our lives are so prevalent. Look at COPS and CHEATERS. Who’d sign a release to be on those shows??
@Corey LOL. The high drama.
@adowling My last CEO, Jeff Kindler, was always on TV. I don’t know if he could go undercover. Maybe in a pharma plant in a foreign country, but most of us knew his face because you couldn’t help but know it. He’s on CNBC all of the time.
@Paul Amen. No kidding. That why Jay Romans (& the rest of that management team) has some explaining to do. What happens when your COO and President has to find out from a reality show and first-hand experience that an office manager’s daily protocol is violating wage & hour laws?
@Minion I like how the COO of Waste Management is like, “I don’t know if I can do this, tomorrow.” This is how 98% of America feels about its jobs. Just made me laugh. I felt that way when I worked in HR and I wasn’t even hauling trash!
@Dan You are about to hit a goldmine. You should start buying related domains and forwarding them to your blog. Or maybe make a new website like the HR folks who talk about The Office? http://www.hrwatchestheoffice.com/
I can’t wait to watch!!!
What an awesome concept. And good for them for allowing their dirty laundry to be aired (even if they do fix everything later).
Wow, finally a reality show worth watching! (Not that I don’t watch the skanky reality shows, but now I don’t have to feel guilty about it.)
I hope they show more of the details between his undercover stint and getting to the bottom of docking of minutes of pay for not clocking in on time. I wanna see somebody get busted!
Actually, it’ll probably come down to a crappy HR department or something. Maybe I don’t want to see that after all.
Wow – it’s like Extreme Makeover: Leadership edition!
I love it! Thanks for sharing!
I agree with a previous comment… a reality show that is worth watching, but also, one that can teach us something… or at least Corporate America something… it doesn’t all come up roses… Extra thanks for sharing, I am not going to miss this one!
I wouldn’t be surprised if this would be relatively easy for even high profile execs to pull off. A lot of people have a hard time recognizing things/people out of context. Change in location/clothes/hair/facial hair(if applicable) could go along way.
I’m hoping after he corrected these issues he then turned around and looked at the managers in place. A good manager is hard to find and many who shouldn’t have that responsibility get it as a promotion, not because they’re talented at managing, motivating and taking care of people.
I wonder if this swapping violates any union contracts…. opps…sorry….its just the HR in me coming out…my bad.
@AJ
@Rachel You have to be brave to trust that a TV show won’t make you look like a chump…
@H.Aria They always blame HR, don’t they?
@Amy LOL, extreme leadership makeover. Ha!
@Nathacha You are more optimistic than I am! I don’t care if I learn anything — but I’m glad TV is focusing on stuff like this. Should be fun to watch!
@nelking EXACTLY. Thank you. Someone give this woman a lot of money.
@Latina LOL. I’m sure it does, actually.
Way back in the day…when I worked for Amazon, before the Segueway, before Kindle, through the roof stock prices and Jeff Bezos as celebrity CEO, everyone at the company was pretty much required to work in one of the warehouses during the holiday season. When I say everyone, I mean everyone, including Jeff and his leadership team. Everyone at corporate worked the night shift packing books and cds.
This was the most effective motivational/learning programs I have ever witnessed. We returned to corporate with a greater understanding of working conditions and challenges. The warehouse workers got the chance to interact with corporate and share feedback. Mutual respect was built. Everybody had one goal — get the boxes out!
One of my favorite stories is about a recruiter who first worked in the warehouse. She was leading a picking team (they picked the books from the shelves and put them on conveyor belts). Jeff was on her team. She yelled at him because he kept doing something wrong. She had no idea that he was the CEO. He never said anything, just corrected his behavior. Pretty cool.
The big wigs at my company used to go work in the factory for one week every year, but because of their “busy schedules”—that stopped. I really wish they would start that back up again…
Quite an amazing concept! I almost cried…almost, but I cannot wait to see the show. It’s amazing how many CEO’s/President’s have no clue what their people do on a daily basis to help the company succeed and how truely loyal they can be if only their hard work was recognized and rewarded appropriately. It’s easy to bark down orders and set policies but it’s so important to actually interact with those that are affected by those decisions directly. Way to go CBS!
I liked the preview, and will definitely watch (at least the first episode). Being the cynical prick that I am, I was left wondering how much input the internal marketing folks from each organization had on the final product that we’ll be watching.
Nice post- even better comments!
HOPEFULLY this show will be a reminder/wake-up call to working America that the C-suite isn’t INTENTIONALLY out to create bad policy, decrease morale and be out of touch with their front line workers. It tends to be a reality of their working situation. Kudos to the companies participating in this show! If the others are half as good as Lawrence O’Donnell/Waste Management this show will surely create a stir in the business community!
His concern for the individual employees seemed sincere. People in his role have great ability to impact the cultural policy of an organization and impact the world of work. Let’s hope he uses his new found perspective in a profound way. This could be a case-study waiting to be written! Thanks for offering the venue for a stimulating dialogue, Laurie! Happy New Year to all!
Wonderful and sad at the same time. Wonderful because it demonstrates how leaders can learn from every member of their staff but also very sad because executive leaders should have been doing things like this from the beginning. Having done this very thing on multiple occasions at multiple organizations, it is nice to be reminded what it is like in the trenches. I suggest that companies extend this concept beyond their CEO’s to all levels of management. This concept can be a game changer for an organization. Great post, Laurie!
Jessica
@blogging4jobs
I think the people at the top are often completely out of touch with 1.) the actual working conditions of their employees 2.) what managers further down on the food chain do to meet the unreasonable expectations set by budgets, savings quotas and production goals 3.) the fact that even “unskilled” workers have to be pretty darn skilled to do their jobs 4.) NOTHING justifies the gap in pay between themselves and their hourly workers.
Sometimes those in the C-suite forget that their salary and bonus rests on the backs of a lot of people who show up and work hard every day and deserve more than a 3% “merit” raise that does not even keep pace with the cost of living.
I would love to see the CEO of a company that owns meatpacking plants (the most dangerous job in the US) do this…
The cynics come out at night!
@Peopleshark OMG, love that story. You have to tell it on your blog!
@InkedHR Yeah, I’m so busy. Too busy to do real work.
@Jas Will be good to hear your thoughts!
@Frank You can’t take a piss without marketing weighing in…
@Eric You’re so right about the case study. If I’m part of the Harvard Business Review, I see all kinds of cross-promotional opportunities. Could be a win/win for business, academics, journals, and TV dorks like me.
@Jessica Wonderful and sad is exactly right, Jessica. Perfect description!
@Low Oh that would be a real eye-opener. Also, CEOs of taxi companies. That’s another high-risk job (per my SPHR exam, LOL).
Well it’s about. Friggin. Time.
With shows like this, I dare say there’s hope for us yet…
Love it and I did get teary-eyed at the end of the clip. I told my husband after he watched it with me, “Welcome to my f&%$ing world” trying to convince others to take a close look at what is going on. I am excited to watch and will be recommending it to all my managers, senior executives and CEO. My company is about 600 employees and our CEO is in front of them enough where they would recognize him. But…I would like him to or hire someone else to go undercover into some of our bigger departments to see/hear what we see/hear in HR.
This could be a very interesting and provocative show if it catches on.
Hi- when I worked in Chicago I had the McDonalds account as a vendor- they have an annual founders day- where headquarters shuts down and everyone including vendors- go out to the stores and works a full shift with employees. A great tradition.
The show sounds great…I hope its not too “cheesily” produced where watching it becomes a chore. It’ll be great to see the company grunts rippin’ the CEOs for not understanding or performing the jobs correctly.
I think this is a good idea for any level of management to engage in. Actually experiencing what it’s like to work in various areas of their company. Cause even if you worked your way up, things aren’t what they used to be back in the day, so getting a current, real-world view is a good thing.
BTW, my favorite CEO stories are of those where they go out onto the floor and nobody recognizes them. How sad is that! Years ago the company president spoke at a gathering in the lobby at Christmas and an associate next to me asked who it was. When I told her it was “the boss” she laughed and said that he was not doing a very good job of being visable to the workers and would tell him so! She did! Best company gift ever!!!
Isn’t WM run by the mob?
…too soon?
Love to see the program…but it’s the same old song and dance. What “should” be an opportunity for growth and understanding becomes a “look at me” photo op. As a Manager, I am in the trenches with employees all day long. I worked through every subordinate role in my field to get where I am. How about this…try to understand the Managers, Mr. CEO. Most employees are spoon fed and complain at the first sight of change. Managers are left to mop up the corporate spills. Managers are the ones in the employee crosshairs. Management (supv through CEO) has become too involved in employee concerns. We have tried to lighten the load too much. Someday, somebody, somewhere will have to stop complaining and just work. Employees are where the rubber meets the road. So, go back to your corner office and support me since so that I can make us profitable. Then, since I work 70 hours/wk, come and paint my house if you need something to do.
I did cry Laurie, and I am definitely watching this program also… Thanks for sharing and caring… for the week or so I have read your blog, I am impressed by your authenticity and transparency… I trust you and I will connect one day soon…
Best to ALL, Brian-
That looks awesome! I’m definitely adding it to the DVR lineup.
What no one out there knows….is this man is so concientous about his job, is that as he flies from city to city Mon through Fri, sometimes several cities a day, where is has meetings….as part of these long days, he orders breakfast for all the drivers and arrives at their plant between 3 & 4 am when the truck teams start work…asks everyone to drop their name in a bucket or hat…and he draws one out….and then announces that he will ride with that driver that morning to see what is going on on his route, and what porblems. etc. and any suggestions he can makek to make his job more efficient and make him more satisfied with his job…..
How many CEO’s and Presidents of these huge companies would take out the little precious time he has with his responsibilities to try to make make his employees have better working conditions…My hat is off to him….and he looks pretty good on TV also….
I have only worked a bit on big corp world. Hated it two weeks into it, so I got out. I have been in startups my entire career and always encouraged my CEOs to get down on their knees and dig in that proverbial dirt with the rest of the crew. Some were not to keen to it and I got the hell out. Some did not need any encouragement and I served them with pride! I recall my CEO and President serving 100+ people at the picnic and cleaning up. That was the best company I have ever served.
Also, I am not much of a prime time TV watcher, but clip you linked to brought out tears my eyes. My late father was my role model, he had thousands and of employees in media and other companies he led. Clip reminded me of how he ran his companies. He was always on the front lines, his office almost never had closed doors. He always used to say: “son, if your plumber is sick that day, you better be ready to hang up your suit and grab that plunger, that is what leadership is” (see my post: Leadership lessons I learned at my father’s funeral http://leanstartups.com/12-rules-of-business-i-learned-from-my-father.html and 12 rules of business I learned from my father http://leanstartups.com/12-rules-of-business-i-learned-from-my-father.html ). I learned a lot from the old man and practice it every day in my career as business operations “guy”. That is why I love operations, you are never too far from the “dirt”.
P.S. This might be the first prime time show I might DVR.
I love this concept. I would love to see more HR pros getting out and seeing what our people do in order to improve the business!
Thanks for sharing, Laurie.
It’s been done before.
http://www.pbs.org/opb/backtothefloor/abouttheseries/index.htm
Hopefully the new incarnation will last longer than the 6 on PBS.
I just saw this show at a pre-screening in las vegas. The one I saw is based on ceo of waste manegment. He does one job per day, for example, sorting garbage at plant, on the road doing garbage pickup, etc. It’s very interesting to see how incorrectly things are done and you get to know the people who works under for the day. I think they got lucky, as this guy seem very good and cares. I bet most CEOs won’t be this flexible.
definately recommend.
Wow, when he shows up in a stretch limo with a film crew all around, I’m sure he gets treated just like any “new employee” would
I work for waste management and cannot wait to see this!!!