March 29, 2024

Small Business Advice

Seeing your organization from your staff's perspective

"To linger in the observation of things other than the self implies a profound conviction of their worth." ~ Charles-Damian Boulogne, My Friends the Senses

Jerry Osteryoung | 12/8/2014

FBMC Benefits Management

I do not watch TV very much but the show Undercover Boss has so impressed me for the message that it sends to all entrepreneurs and managers. The whole theme of this valuable show is that the CEO of the business goes undercover and works various entry level jobs.

I have only seen two shows of this series featuring the CEO’s of both White Castle and Hooters. However, in both of these shows the CEO’s experience changes the way they see the entire business. For example, at Hooters, the CEO saw a manager abuse the serving staff while at White Castle the CEO observed the lack of teamwork that has happening at many of the restaurants. Additionally, at While Castle the CEO, David Rite, saw vividly how many of the productions jobs were so difficult and, more important, he saw how policies and procedures that came from his top staff, just did not work in practice.

To me, the entire message of this show is so important for each and every entrepreneur. That is, your perspective of the business is a whole lot different from how your employees see the business. Additionally, the problems that you think staff are having are a whole lot different than there actual problems. In one case, a manager at Hooters thought he was doing a great job as he was making his numbers but his staff despised him with the associated decline in morale.

It is so amazing to me to see entrepreneurs who think everything is going well when they visit different parts of their operation. These parts look great and staff seems so happy Of course, management knew the entrepreneur was going to visit so the place was cleaned up and everyone was on their best behavior.

Sure you need to visit your operations on a scheduled basis to communicate critical things about your operation. Additionally, you need to visit unannounced to each and every part of your operation to see what is really going on without being shown around by the manager of the department.

Now you might not be able to go undercover as your company is just too small to allow this to happen. However, there is no reason why you cannot spend time wandering around the various parts of your organization unannounced and talk to the staff about some of their issues. I really believe that more information can be achieved from the lower level of staff as they are closer to the customers and have to live with so many rules and procedures that top management has instituted.

As an effective manager and leader you must find ways to find out how your organization is really operating and how effective they are. Clearly this is not to punish anyone but to find out how the organization “really works.” While going undercover is extreme there are so many other ways to extract this valuable type of information from suggestions boxes to unannounced visits.

Now go out and make sure you have a process in place so that you can see and evaluate how your organization at the lowest levels operate.

You can do this!


Jerry Osteryoung is a consultant to businesses - he has directly assisted over 3,000 firms. He is the Jim Moran Professor of Entrepreneurship (Emeritus) and Professor of Finance (Emeritus) at Florida State University. He was the founding Executive Director of The Jim Moran Institute and served in that position from 1995 through 2008. His newest book co-authored with Tim O'Brien, "If You Have Employees, You Really Need This Book," is an Amazon.com bestseller. He can be reached by e-mail at jerry.osteryoung@gmail.com.

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