You Don’t Have to Get Undercover To Be Observant

There’s a reason the TV show Undercover Boss is so popular. It’s where senior executives disguise themselves to work undercover in their own companies and discover how their firms really work. It exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I believe viewers are rarely surprised when executives learn of the serious operational issues that impact the customer experience, not to mention profitability. In thousands of companies everywhere, employees experience such issues everyday.

The highlight of the show is when these executives finally address the people-side of the business. It’s satisfying to see problem employees – those who are clearly not aligned with the company’s values – confronted, and either reprimanded or fired.

But the greatest joy comes from watching these executives provide some amazing rewards to the hard-working employees they encounter during their undercover experience. The heroic efforts and creative problem solving demonstrated by many workers often go unnoticed by company executives.

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to wait for reality TV to observe the real issues in your organization, or to discover the true hard-working people who work there. You also don’t have to be a senior executive to do it (though, they should to be observing more than anyone else).

Being observant in business is about asking relevant questions, while exploring the human side of the people who work there. With a little work, you’ll likely discover some remarkable employees doing some incredible things for the company.

You might even be moved to get creative in how you reward such amazing employees.