FOLLOW UP FROM AN "UNDERCOVER BOSS"
February 7 (right after the Super Bowl) CBS is launching a series called "Undercover Boss" about executives who go incognito into their companies to "walk a mile" in their employees' shoes.
My article about one of the original participants from the British version of the show was posted in The Washington Post "On Leadership" section this Monday. Stephen Martin, CEO of the Clugston Group, was wonderful to interview - and his experience on the show taught him so much about what it really takes to communicate with his workers.
The posting that sparked a lively debate among professional communicators. Among their concerns: Is this a gimmick? Would executives be urged to follow suit - with less-than-optimal results? Isn't going "undercover" dishonest?
I forwarded these to Stephen. Here is his reply:
Dear Carol,
Very interesting and I am pleased that it has generated a debate on the matter over there in the US - as it failed to ignite such a debate over here.
Indeed, this was the kind of response that I was concerned about prior to agreeing to be an Undercover Boss. If I had spoke to the unions, my PR, legal or HR departments prior to committing Clugston to Undercover Boss I am sure the response would have been negative because of such concerns.
But as it happened, I did not speak to any of them in advance and went ahead because I was convinced it was the right thing to do for the business - and it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the truth from our employees without anything being filtered through dozens of layers of management prior to reaching me.
Having now been through the process, I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do for most company bosses- if done in the right manner, of course, ie not to try and spy on people or to catch them out but to allow employees freedom of expression and to improve the business and the opportunities for everyone within it.
When I went undercover I did not lie to anyone eg when someone asked what I did, I explained that I worked in an office and then changed the conversation to ask about their job as most people like to talk about themselves.
Furthermore, immediately after the "experiment" was over, I personally spoke to everyone I met whilst I was undercover to tell them exactly who I was and why I had done it and to give them the opportunity to express any concerns directly to me.
My biggest answer to any potential negative comments in the press would be that I had 100% positive feedback from everyone I worked with in Clugston - they were more shocked that I had gone to the trouble of working with them on nightshifts etc and were genuinely pleasantly surprised that their boss had shown such an interest and listened to them and, most importantly, acted on their concerns with tangible actions.
No one within our business ever listed the potential moral issues that could arise as being a concern - especially after they had witnessed first hand the huge morale boost it had given to all of our employees, irrespective of whether or not I worked directly with them.
Let's hope that the debate continues - because it is long overdue in closing the barriers between employees and leaders of large corporates!
Best wishes
Stephen
Maybe it's just a case of the right organization and the right leader (with the right intentions) at the right time. But in the Clugston case, not only were the financial results impressive, but at the end of last year the company won many awards - including the top award in the UK Construction Industry Awards. And Stephen believes that his undercover experience definitely contributed to that success.
The following is a quote from the Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards 2009 explaining why the culture at Clugston was so impressive to the judges: "Clugston Group chief executive Stephen Martin recently made national headlines when he took part in the Channel 4 series Undercover Boss. That refreshing openness is something that extends throughout the company."
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an executive coach and international keynote speaker at corporate, government, and association events. She’s the author of “The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work.” To contact Carol about speaking or coaching, call 510-526-1727, email CGoman@CKG.com. Carol’s websites are www.CKG.com and www.NonverbalAdvantage.com. You can also follow Carol on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CGoman.
February 7 (right after the Super Bowl) CBS is launching a series called "Undercover Boss" about executives who go incognito into their companies to "walk a mile" in their employees' shoes.
My article about one of the original participants from the British version of the show was posted in The Washington Post "On Leadership" section this Monday. Stephen Martin, CEO of the Clugston Group, was wonderful to interview - and his experience on the show taught him so much about what it really takes to communicate with his workers.
The posting that sparked a lively debate among professional communicators. Among their concerns: Is this a gimmick? Would executives be urged to follow suit - with less-than-optimal results? Isn't going "undercover" dishonest?
I forwarded these to Stephen. Here is his reply:
Dear Carol,
Very interesting and I am pleased that it has generated a debate on the matter over there in the US - as it failed to ignite such a debate over here.
Indeed, this was the kind of response that I was concerned about prior to agreeing to be an Undercover Boss. If I had spoke to the unions, my PR, legal or HR departments prior to committing Clugston to Undercover Boss I am sure the response would have been negative because of such concerns.
But as it happened, I did not speak to any of them in advance and went ahead because I was convinced it was the right thing to do for the business - and it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the truth from our employees without anything being filtered through dozens of layers of management prior to reaching me.
Having now been through the process, I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do for most company bosses- if done in the right manner, of course, ie not to try and spy on people or to catch them out but to allow employees freedom of expression and to improve the business and the opportunities for everyone within it.
When I went undercover I did not lie to anyone eg when someone asked what I did, I explained that I worked in an office and then changed the conversation to ask about their job as most people like to talk about themselves.
Furthermore, immediately after the "experiment" was over, I personally spoke to everyone I met whilst I was undercover to tell them exactly who I was and why I had done it and to give them the opportunity to express any concerns directly to me.
My biggest answer to any potential negative comments in the press would be that I had 100% positive feedback from everyone I worked with in Clugston - they were more shocked that I had gone to the trouble of working with them on nightshifts etc and were genuinely pleasantly surprised that their boss had shown such an interest and listened to them and, most importantly, acted on their concerns with tangible actions.
No one within our business ever listed the potential moral issues that could arise as being a concern - especially after they had witnessed first hand the huge morale boost it had given to all of our employees, irrespective of whether or not I worked directly with them.
Let's hope that the debate continues - because it is long overdue in closing the barriers between employees and leaders of large corporates!
Best wishes
Stephen
Maybe it's just a case of the right organization and the right leader (with the right intentions) at the right time. But in the Clugston case, not only were the financial results impressive, but at the end of last year the company won many awards - including the top award in the UK Construction Industry Awards. And Stephen believes that his undercover experience definitely contributed to that success.
The following is a quote from the Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards 2009 explaining why the culture at Clugston was so impressive to the judges: "Clugston Group chief executive Stephen Martin recently made national headlines when he took part in the Channel 4 series Undercover Boss. That refreshing openness is something that extends throughout the company."
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an executive coach and international keynote speaker at corporate, government, and association events. She’s the author of “The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work.” To contact Carol about speaking or coaching, call 510-526-1727, email CGoman@CKG.com. Carol’s websites are www.CKG.com and www.NonverbalAdvantage.com. You can also follow Carol on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CGoman.
Labels: leaders, leadership, undercover boss
posted by ckg @ 10:29 AM
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