Extreme Beach Ball
The other day, I happened to catch an episode of Oprah where she was previewing a new CBS show called “Undercover Boss” (premiering February 7th). The show has C-Suite executives go undercover within their own organizations to experience the jobs of their front-line employees. I was immediately intrigued.
The first executive profiled was Waste Management’s President and COO, Larry O’Donnell. Larry bravely takes on roles from picking cardboard off mind-bendingly fast-moving conveyor belts, to cleaning up Honey Buckets. In each scenario, he not only learns how hard the job is but, more importantly, he becomes aware of a corporate policy that has backfired or created less-than-desired and downright unpredictable consequences. The one that comes to mind is a female garbage collector who urinates in a can as a result of intense pressure to complete her route quickly and being in a traditionally male role.
Throughout the show, Larry resolves each one of these issues as a result of having gone through this experience - one that I would consider Extreme Beach Ball. How wonderful if each officer or policy maker could have a hands-on experience of each employee’s “stripe”. It’s an immediate reality check. And I would now encourage Larry to continue exploring this new found territory by holding regular Beach Ball meetings that include front-line employees whenever a new policy, directive, or mandate is being considered.
For those of you who could use a “Larry” to experience your reality, what would he discover?
by Tags: beach ball, C-Suite, CBS, Fierce Conversations, Larry O'Donnell, Oprah, Undercover Boss, Waste Management
February 5th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Fantastic! I was getting ready to blow off “Undercover Boss” as trendy, silly and corny. Now that I see it within the context of an “Extreme Beach Ball” exercise, it takes on a new meaning.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:22 am
There are no coinsidences!! I have been attending a weekly supervisor training “bootcamp” in a large multi-facility health care system.
One of the subjects/themes in our sessions centers on commuications. Attendees were given a copy of “Fierce Conversations”. As of Feb 5, I had read the first 50 pages which cover the beach ball mentality. When I saw “Undercover Boss” I immediately recognized that the COO was jumping colors (so to speak!)
February 10th, 2010 at 9:25 am
(cont’d)
I loved watching the strategy unfold!! What a great way to make the connection from book to action! I have been recommending the show to other supervisors, managers, and directors in my organization!
February 14th, 2010 at 7:37 am
Some time ago had an experience that caused me to learn what it feels like when another above you simply does not listen. In fact, the experience was so in-my-face that I found myself yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs and into a cell phone at a man who literally had no ability to listen. I should have picked up on this earlier when I observed how he treated his own wife in public, but I was blind and never thought it would turn on me. The Undercover Boss episode reinforced my own failures and helped me to realize that some are just unwilling to learn and listen, and so now with my own company at hotzing.com I am excited to have an upper edge with real life understanding. Sadly, this precious understanding cost me over $50,000 of my own money invested in a company with a great product but a terrible leader who perfectly exemplifies the born loser syndrome best portrayed in the Paul Newman movie The Hustler.
March 15th, 2010 at 4:41 am
I found the Waste Management episode to be enlightening with such transparency by Larry as he debriefed his experiences and reflected on his executive actions. He does need to continue the employee engagement process and learn from his workers — they were inspirational, diligent and insightful.