Five Manager Lessons You Can Learn From Undercover Boss

There are many great things in regards to management we can learn from the reality show, Undercover Boss.  The show documents the President or CEO pretending to be a regular employee when working alongside employees from various departments of the company.  The show clearly presents some important lessons for any manager or top level executive.

A recent episode documented Rich McClure, President of United Van Lines, meeting many of his employees as he struggled to do their jobs.  Read these five lessons Rich McClure learned from his experience.

Be Open to Constructive Criticism

An effective manager listens to comments from their employees, even if it’s not always positive.  It’s important to separate general griping from truly constructive criticism.  Remember that your employees are actively doing their jobs and most times will have a better idea of process gaps and possible improvements.  Be open to hearing and accepting that there may be some process improvements that need to take place within your organization.  This will result in positive changes for your company and more efficient service.

Don’t Give Up on Sluggish Employees

McClure had one employee that demonstrated a very negative attitude.  The employee seemed to have a good command of his work related duties.  However, he was negative in dealing with his immediate supervisor.  He said the job was boring and he couldn’t wait to leave the company.  McClure could have recommended an immediate dismissal of the employee, which would have been the first action of many managers.  Instead, he took an interest in showing the employee the company’s big picture and their role in it.  Poor employee attitude can be related to the manager’s lack of clearly communicating the company’s mission and vision. 

Ask About Your Employees’ Dreams

Talking about personal dreams with employees is something most managers don’t think to do.  Taking an interest in your employees can help you discover what their striving toward.  Your employees may have a desire to promote within your organization.  They may lack the money or training to accomplish their goals.  McClure discovered he had a husband and wife team that was the best packers in his company.  The couple had a desire to promote to drivers and own their own moving truck.  After learning this information, McClure offered to pay for driver training enabling the couple to have a long satisfying career with his company.  The cost of training is worth the price of keeping great employees.

Take Employee Concerns Seriously

One area McClure missed the mark was in his response to a woman employee.  She expressed a concern that the company promoted a “boys club,” attitude when it came to promoting women within the organization.  This is a valid concern that many women working in predominately male companies feel.  The comment was essentially shirked off, when McClure expressed to the female employee that she simply wasn’t aware that there were many women in upper level management.  What he should have done was acknowledge that there had not been adequate communication of the promotions of women into upper level management positions in the past.  In addition, he should have taken steps to encourage women in the company to actively go after promotions they want.  This would encourage female employees who had been feeling alienated from promotion opportunities.

Don’t be Afraid to Get Your Hands Dirty

It is important as a manager, not to be afraid to actively work alongside your employees.  Getting actively involved not being afraid to get your hands and clothes dirty will gain your employees respect.  It will also give you a greater respect for the work your employees do every day.