Engaging with employees at all levels fosters respect, uncovers issues, and strengthens company culture.
Undercover Boss was a show that intrigued me in the mid-2000s. It featured a CEO/owner of a large business disguising themselves as an entry-level worker to delve deeper into the inner workings of their business. Through that process they would discover the issues their people were facing and better understand where the business was deficient. They had to go into the trenches and see the mess that was going on there in order to address major shortcomings in their business.
It may have been cheesy or nonsensical at times, but I always enjoyed the concept of a successful individual going to do a job way below their pay grade for a couple of days in order to get in touch with the people who keep their business running. There is a special humility and dedication that makes someone want to do that.
What are the benefits of doing this in your firm? It brings you down to earth, and reminds you of when you had to do that type of work. It allows you to be closer to the beating heart of your business. Doing this could help you address major problems your firm currently has or identify snowballs that will become avalanches in the future. You don’t want to be a small business with big problems. If you ignore these, you only add more to your plate down the road and your firm will begin to slowly deteriorate.
What does it take to work more closely with and better understand your employees down the org chart? It boils down to these three things:
- Time. If you take the time to do this, you are showing your people that you care about them, which fosters respect. You get to see their perspective, but you also have the opportunity to communicate your vison to them. Our greatest assets come in and out of the office every day. Even though they are not on the balance sheet as an asset, they are the unrealized value of your firm. It is crucial to meet people where they are and spend quality time seeking to understand them.
- Curiosity. Do you want to truly know what is happening in your firm? This is a learning lesson because you hear the good and the bad. No matter how busy you are with the work of running your firm, it’s critical to come down from your ivory tower and make the effort to learn about the people throughout your business. Numbers and charts cannot convey everything. The human element better completes the picture.
- Effort. If you embark on this exercise, you must follow through by addressing any concerns that came up during the process. The time you spend in this endeavor is valuable, so you must use the information you gathered in the process to move your firm in the right direction. It takes strong leadership to make this function and be a part of your firm. Change takes time and, if you are consistent with your effort, you will be able to change the culture of your firm to a degree you never would’ve thought possible.
Getting back to the ground level of your firm can provide invaluable insights into the inner workings of your business. Taking the time to engage with your employees, showing curiosity about their day-to-day challenges, and making the effort to address any concerns are key steps in fostering a strong, connected company culture. By doing this, you strengthen the foundation of your business. Ultimately, this hands-on approach not only benefits your team but also sets your firm on a path toward long-term success.
Ezequiel Tovar is a senior transition analyst at Zweig Group’s. Contact him at etovar@zweiggroup.com.
