Undercover Boss

Have you seen that show “Undercover Boss”?  Its a reality show that puts the head of the company back in the trenches alongside his or her employees.  If you watch the show regularly, you’ll see men and women who have long since climbed up the ladder to the executive suite, back at the bottom getting down and dirty with everyone else.  It’s worth a few laughs sometimes to watch these folks as they screw up menial labor.  I watched one guy, the CEO of Baja Fresh, practically get fired from his stint as a cashier in one of his stores.  Then there was another episode where this woman was back to waiting tables at a Great Wolf Lodge, forgetting orders and trying to give them their check before they got their food.  Classic.

The redeeming factor on these episodes was that in each case, the executive was somehow touched by the work ethic of his or her employees, and got to know the face and the story behind employee #12345.  In many cases, the CEO learns that their star performers are going through hard times personally, yet they are committed to their work.  Employees often deal with deal with major life issues outside of work that can negatively affect performance. 

As an “undercover boss” CEO’s have an opportunity to get to know the employees on a personal level and learn about the hardships they’re dealing with.  Issues can run the gamut, from health issues, disabled children, drug abuse, work/life balance and financial hardships.

Learning about these issues first hand gives the CEO a new respect and appreciation for the employee and a major highlight of the show is when the CEO makes it happen.  Like a big fairy godmother or genie in the corner office,  at the end of the show the Undercover Boss reveals his true identity and bestows raises, promotions, leaves of absence, schedule shifting on the tearfully grateful employee .  It’s a heartwarming moment, but before you go running back to your company expecting the same generous and heartwarming reaction to your personal plight:  Stop.  Don’t get it twisted. Your CEO may not be quite as willing to get down in the trenches with you; your boss may not want to hear it and your manager may be powerless to help.

But don’t give up hope.  Informed employers are well aware the happy employees are productive employees and productive employees are good for business.  So even if they’re not willing to go the reality show route, they may have other tools in place to help keep you on your feet.  Many companies now offer employee assistance program or EAP or employee wellness programs.  Employee wellness programs concentrate on health and overall wellness education. Through the EAP, some companies are able to provide that “undercover boss” service to help their employees through hardships. 

Programs like this will offer consultations with a lawyer, or psychologist, or financial planners, at no charge to employees.  Even better, there are no video cameras involved.  The service is completely confidential, and whatever you discuss with your counselor or therapist is completely confidential as well. 

So if you need help with a personal issue, before you run to your boss with your tearful story, check out the EAP poster on the company bulletin board and reach out for help.  No cameras required.

There are Four P's in Happy

Identifying the key ingredients for 9-5 success

Many of us struggle with finding happiness at work; chasing the elusive ideal where all the
elements coexist in perfect balance, providing the balance for our lives.  However, we often find
ourselves at a loss to define exactly what those elements are.  I was searching for my own
happiness when Joanne Gordon’s book, Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why  jumped out at me in the career section of my local library.   

Published in 2004, Be Happy at Work covers the return to career altruism that surfaced in the
post-9/11 career landscape, when people began searching for meaning in their 9-5 beyond just salary.  Although many started that search long before, the 9/11 tragedy really brought home the notion that life is too short and no money can match the value of being happy with your life and
your work.  

The author tells her own story which brought it home for me.  Gordon explains that while working in marketing and advertising a client of hers died suddenly.  Although the gentleman was very
stressed at work it would be conjecture to assume that work related stress was a factor in his
death; however, Gordon took it as her cue to go back to school and pursue her passion for
writing as a career.

While the book encapsulates the happy profiles of 100 women, their stories resonate regardless of gender and encapsulate four common denominators or the Four P’s:

Process:   You’ve got to like what you do and the process of doing it.  “It” can be talking to
people, crunching numbers, writing, working with your hands, driving, singing, or making the
donuts – happy workers find joy in “it”.  There’s a comfort and a rhythm in the day to day tasks
that add to the happiness, without it the job loses some of its luster.  For example, a manager
responsible for the tactical execution gets bumped up to the next level where they strategize
instead of execute.  The happiness factor goes down as a result.  Identifying those things that
make you whistle while you work is a good starting point.

Purpose:  The mission, the meaning, the ultimate goal of what you do matters, too. Lately,
people want to feel good about why they do what they do.  What purpose does it serve?  Does it provide a service, fill a need, or make someone’s life better?  Each of Gordon’s “Happy 100”
found something with a purpose they could get behind.  Whether it’s providing safety instruction, making great soundtracks for the movies, teaching children how to read or feeding the hungry,
the purpose is of your work is just as important as the process… and the people.

People:  Employees often spend more time at work than at home.  Eight or more hours per day -- whether working in an office, in a cubicle or travelling side by side by train, plane or automobile – is a long time to spend with people you don’t like or respect.  Therefore, the company you keep, no pun intended, can have profound impact on your job satisfaction.  When employees get a along with their customers, coworkers and bosses the happiness quotient multiplies.

Proactive: Whether you’re evaluating a job offer or just taking stock of your current situation,
keep process, purpose and people in mind.  Then the final step is being proactive in creating
your own happiness at work.  Do your homework; figure out what you want, what works and
what doesn’t.  Talk to your boss; seek out a career coach, or a mentor. Start investigating other
companies, jobs, industries that have the right balance – then advisedly make your move. 

Keep these four P’s in mind as you take control of your job situation or career.  Knowing what
makes you happy is a great place to start.

Social Media or Digital Schizophrenia: Dooce, The Stripper and LinkedIn

Heather Armstrong vented about her boss on her blog and got fired. She was totally within her right to exercise freedom of expression, but still she was fired for exercising that freedom in a digital form. (The irony: she may have been right about her boss, otherwise she might still be employed.)

How about the NYC public school teacher who recently blogged about her experience as a prostitute before she became an elementary school teacher? Mayor Bloomberg himself yanked her out of the classroom.

Take LinkedIn… if you are linked to your boss you may be limited in the amount of open digital networking you can do. Worse yet, human resource professionals regularly scout their employees LinkedIn pages. While the scouting may be innocent, can frequent updates to your profile trigger a call from HR with a pink slip? What if your boss or HR team Googles you – what will they find? Do you really want your HR exec following you on Twitter?

What I really don’t like is when companies go gung-ho about social media and insist that you identify yourself with the company digitally. Think about it… Is your current job your “identity”? Nothing is forever, right? If you should ever leave the company, can you de-twitter, un-link and dis-like your company? Probably not as easy as hitting the delete button, I suspect.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article the author explained the need for a positive electronic identity - an alter-ego, an elecronic Clark Kent for whom no mardi-gras, or jello shots videos exist. Creating a digital dossier that presents you in a positive light is fine for most of us – especially when you’re looking for a job and you need to convey a professional image. But I maintain that its virtually impossible to keep Superman separate from Clark Kent.  Even the best superhero struggles to keep the two worlds separate (well, maybe except for Tony Stark, but he's different.) 

In real life, its just not that easy.  For example, let's say your latest Facebook post announces that you’re currently shopping your screenplay to Hollywood movie studios and you have a deal pending. That seems like an innocent post, but your current employer could take that as a signal that you’ll be leaving soon, or as an explanation for your extension’s recent increase in phone calls to the coast.

Clearly, I have a problem with the whole digital thing. I just can’t figure out how you can be your whole, authentic self online unless you are self-employed, independently wealthy or otherwise financially secure. But then again if you are wholly authentic, self-employed, independently wealthy and otherwise financially secure, should you really be posting your life’s details online?

As my Mom said when she found (and read) my diary when I was 14, don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want anyone else to read.

Define Your Own Success

When you first started out in your career, you probably said something like: I want to make Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker by the time I’m 25/35/45. So you worked like crazy, completely focused on learning your business and mastering your craft, when suddenly you look up and find that you’ve made it. The company promotes you to Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker. Break out the champagne, or maybe its Miller time but go ahead and enjoy your accomplishment, you’ve certainly earned it. Congrats! Woohoo!

Eventually the buzz passes and its time to settle into the new gig, learn the ropes and do the work. What may surprise you is that its not as great as you thought it would be. How did that happen? Its kind of like the buyer’s remorse for new homeowners. You’re looking at the white picket fence and thinking its worth the price but once you fork over all your cash and sign your name to a tremendous pile of legal documents, you’re faced with the reality of those big payments for 30 years!

The same principle could apply to your Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker goal. You spent so much time focused on getting there, that you never stopped to think about what actually happens when you get there? The view from the top of your mountain may look very different than what you had envisioned. Its too late to turn back once you get there, but there are important clues on the journey to the top if we just slow down and notice the signs.

What do you do? What if you love the nitty gritty task management and being involved in the day to day. At your level, that’s par for the course, but one or two levels above may not be as involved. Would you be happy sitting in meetings day after day talking through big picture strategy and long term planning? Or would you long for the days when you could cross things off your to do list every day? Maybe. Maybe not. That’s important to note as it could lead to major dissatisfaction in the executive suite. Be sure to do your research and talk to people in the position you’re after and ask that “typical day on the job” question. Then plan your direction accordingly.

What about money? Money isn’t everything. Sure, it can solve a heck of a lot of problems and help you sleep a little better a night knowing that the bills are paid, but its really not everything. Let’s compare your local job to a higher paying position in the city. The pay scale for local, around the way jobs may be lower but will the thought of extra dollar signs be enough when you’re headed off to work packed on a train full of grumpy strangers at the crack of dawn? Or how about when your train is delayed and you’re stuck with those same grumpy strangers and you miss your kid’s school concert. Your kids will plow through that extra money before you can blink, but they would always remember your smiling face from the back row of the concert.

What about you? The bills are paid, the lights are on and the fridge is full. You’re able to make it to several school functions and your view is better than it was before your promotion. Itemized on paper, your new job has more pros than cons and it looks perfect. But something is still gnawing at you. Well, looks aren’t everything. Maybe its time to focus on home since you’ve spent so much energy focused on work. It may just be that youre ready for your next challenge. Just be mindful of the signs as you speed off to your next plateau.