Last years’ surprise hit, Undercover Boss, has returned to CBS’ fall lineup - yet another reality show attempting to strike a balance between entertainment and real-life drama. But this one works. Why? Because the scenario played out every week is the same scenario being played out in board rooms around the country (albeit without the opening crescendo):
Americans are struggling to shake off the recession.
Public mistrust of CEOs remains high.
But more and more bosses are looking for radical ways to connect with their workforce in order to find out what’s really going on in their companies.
Each week we follow the boss of a major corporation as they go undercover in their own company …
They will discover the truth.
Cut to commercial. And back to reality.
While C-level executives and Board members seek to discover the truth behind declining sales, revenue shortfalls and dwindling earnings, are they willing to take extreme action to make their businesses better?
The answer to that question is precisely the reason why Enterprise 2.0 –enterprise social software - needs to find a place among the C-suite. Without going incognito, enterprise social software provides the opportunity to travel into the trenches and learn from those who are closest to the truth: your employees and customers.
The lesson to the corporate world is not really about alter egos and disguises. In fact, in the real world there’s something sinister about going undercover where the implications of ‘big brother’ creates an environment of distrust. On the other hand, there’s something spectacular that happens when the boss rolls up his sleeves, gets down in the trenches with the troops to work alongside, and together set out on a unified mission to win the battle.
Rather than plotting your secret identity, leave the thrill of undercover adventures to the big screen and instead start ramping up your social strategies. Here are four truths to get you heading in the right direction.
1) Don’t mistake this as a passing trend
A McKinsey Global Survey revealed that, based on input from 3,200 executives, ‘more intensive use of Web 2.0 technologies is correlated with market share gains and stronger financial performance.’ This is perhaps the most direct correlation to-date between enterprise collaboration and market share gains –a strong indicator that Enterprise 2.0 is here to stay.
As social software gains traction, it becomes clear that this is not a one- trick pony. Cisco recently announced the results of a global study that found 77% of IT decision makers planning to increase spending on collaboration tools – perhaps agreeing with sentiment among employees in this study that social media application are needed to get their job done.
CSC, a global IT leader with 95,000 worldwide employees, shared its success with Computerworld:
“In the six weeks, 20,000 people adopted it and 55,000 people are using it a year on. It has been a really effective way for our president to engage with staff. I communicate with my 3000 customers through video blogs because that’s where my team lives.” (Ben Patey, CIO)
McKinsey Quarterly (Aug 2010) cited numerous examples of tangible business value derived from an Enterprise 2.0 approach of greater connectedness:
- A global energy services company leveraged Web technologies to expand access to experts around the world, and set up new innovation communities across siloed business units. These networks have helped speed up service delivery while improving quality by 48 percent.
- Dow Chemical established its own branded social network to identify and recruit talent. The company also broadened its ability to solve problems – key to the company’s ultimate success.
- One high-tech enterprise deployed collaboration technology specifically to reduce travel expenses incurred by sales team. The result: savings on travel were four times the company’s technology investment. Customer contacts per salesperson rose by 45 percent, while 80 percent of the sales staff reported higher productivity and a better lifestyle.
Many organizations remain at the cusp of adoption, awaiting the once-elusive proof that Enterprise 2.0 will bring tangible benefits to their company. But with results such as those shown above, even the most conservative executives must admit: the wait is over.
2) Offline collaboration has become an oxymoron
Early in my career, I worked for a company that was headed by a visionary man at the helm of a high-growth company within a booming industry. As CEO, Don knew the value of keeping open communication lines and frequently made it a point to walk the halls greeting the employees who worked so hard to make the company succeed…assuring them that his door was always open.
Despite the good intentions, it came as no surprise that his open door was not enough to encourage employees to make their way up to the top floor and step inside his office. Recognizing this limitation, he began hosting an early morning breakfast meeting ‘Donuts with Don,’ where a random handful of cross-functional employees was selected to join Don for a get-to-know-you meeting. It was during these casual meetings where he’d hoped to learn about problems, gather ideas for making things better, and begin to create a collaborative environment where all felt free to contribute value.
With Dunkin’ Donuts awaiting, employees nervously shuffled in to the meeting and took their seats at the long, oak board room table. The meeting provided a chance to exchange pleasantries with employees you might not have otherwise met, assurance that the CEO at least knew your name, and hefty travel costs incurred by ensuring remote employees also had representation. But a collaborative environment? Not on your life.
The admirable mission was befallen not from a lack of good intent, but rather by simple human nature. And the pitfalls play out every day in our offices. How many times have you sat in a meeting and watched as the CEO asked about the status of a particular project or customer? You’re aware that there have been problems, your eyes shift around the room wondering how your colleagues are going to respond, until someone breaks the awkward silence and speaks up with ‘everything’s fine. We’re making great progress.’
For better or worse, this simply does not happen in an online environment. The Internet brings out the best and worst in people (which, by the way, is all the more reason why enterprise-appropriate technology must be used, so that the organization maintains a level of moderation). They’re not hesitant to share what they think. It provides the most inclusive way of getting honest feedback and uncovering ideas that people are unafraid to share - outcomes you cannot afford to ignore if transformation is on your company’s agenda.
3) Recognize that not everyone will like it
Without the hoopla of disguises or hidden cameras, enterprise social software enables you to connect with employees you would not otherwise communicate with, and learn about processes that ultimately dictate the success or failure of your business. It also channels the powerful wisdom, insights and knowledge of your employees and customers – in ways that can help you quickly address problems and begin an enterprise-wide transformation.
Consider the vast difference between a connected enterprise, and one that functions within a traditional organizational structure. This scenario played out in an episode of Undercover Boss, where Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment (the largest family-owned theme parks in the nation), connected with an unsuspecting young employee who enthusiastically shared his passion for the company and ideas he’d implement if he were in charge.
In the real world, this young man would never have shared his brilliance with the boss, for a number of reasons that are similar to the barriers faced by nearly every company. The more obvious, of course, is a lack of connectedness. But what if your own leadership team is an even greater obstacle?
Consider an accounts payable clerk in your office who has a great idea on how to speed collections and improve your cash flow. Or a new software engineer who has a brilliant new idea that could bring your product to market months ahead of the competition? Now, send the CEO to their respective desks to ask ‘how’s everything going?’ Chances are, unless you’ve already established an open culture, that open-ended question will be met with a quick halt. But why? Perhaps it’s the devil’s advocate playing in their head, telling them their idea isn’t good enough. Or worse yet, perhaps they’re afraid to step beyond the lines of command, subject to controlling leadership that would rather keep them (and your company) down than to give any subordinate credit.
Those who are territorial, put self motives above company good, or trade good ideas for self promotion are not going to like this flattened hierarchical environment. And in fact, they’ll probably fight you every step of the way. But let’s face it. If you are moving your organization to a more open, collaborative environment, these are not the people you want with you.
4) Transparency requires truth – and your ability to accept it
Who can forget Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Jessup in the film, A Few Good Men? More specifically, who can forget that poignant line from the courtroom scene: “You can’t handle the truth!” (See the infamous scene below, ten seconds into the video.)
To be successful with enterprise social software, we must be willing to accept the truth, which can be one of the most difficult challenges in making the shift to an Enterprise 2.0 company. Social strategies must be embraced from the top down reaching every level of the corporate hierarchy. This requires an openness and willingness to see things that we might not want to see; to hear things we don’t want to hear; to be faced with truths that are much easier to ignore.
Why such resistance to the truth? Because, as the ‘undercover CEOs’ discover weekly on CBS, the truth can oftentimes show us:
- Uncensored customer perceptions of your brand
- Employee frustrations
- Production waste
- Processes riddled with flaws and unnecessary costs
- Untapped potential from talented, passionate employees stifled under corporate bureaucracy or mismanagement
Yet it is exactly these types of truths that must be uncovered in order to begin making business better. Regardless of your industry or sector focus, the core necessities for a successful enterprise remain consistent:
- Enthusiastic, happy customers
- Loyal, passionate employees who are empowered to make your business better
- Process efficiencies and cost containment
- Innovation
And these can only be accomplished through an open enterprise that is willing to see the truth as an opportunity to take action and make things better. Without the hoopla of disguises or hidden cameras, enterprise social software offers businesses an unparalleled opportunity to look deep inside the company – where treasures of knowledge and innovation can be uncovered.
Conclusion
Most early adopters found success with social media in the arms of marketing, where vibrant communities were heralded by the press for the viral attention they commanded. While considered a big win for the PR team, the buzz oftentimes was not sustainable and usually did little to boost the bottom-line. Times have changed, and extreme times call for extreme measures. This is no longer a marketing tactic, but rather a way to insert your marketing role as a change-agent throughout your company. As Undercover Boss so clearly demonstrates, this is a CEO move – a way to find out what’s really going on in your company. A way to discover the truth. A way to make your business better.
Bio:
Kristi Grigsby, Sr. Director of Marketing at INgage Networks, drives the innovation and execution of the company’s marketing strategy. She oversees the conception and strategic development of the brand—including PR, corporate communications, and digital media. Kristi earned her M.B.A. degree in marketing and entrepreneurship from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Find her on Twitter @KristiGrigsby.
Featured in Opinion @ Large
Undercover Boss
Last years’ surprise hit, Undercover Boss, has returned to CBS’ fall lineup - yet another reality show attempting to strike a balance between entertainment and real-life drama. But this one works. Why? Because the scenario played out every week is the same scenario being played out in board rooms around the country (albeit without the opening crescendo):
Public mistrust of CEOs remains high.
But more and more bosses are looking for radical ways to connect with their workforce in order to find out what’s really going on in their companies.
Each week we follow the boss of a major corporation as they go undercover in their own company …
They will discover the truth.
Cut to commercial. And back to reality.
While C-level executives and Board members seek to discover the truth behind declining sales, revenue shortfalls and dwindling earnings, are they willing to take extreme action to make their businesses better?
The answer to that question is precisely the reason why Enterprise 2.0 –enterprise social software - needs to find a place among the C-suite. Without going incognito, enterprise social software provides the opportunity to travel into the trenches and learn from those who are closest to the truth: your employees and customers.
The lesson to the corporate world is not really about alter egos and disguises. In fact, in the real world there’s something sinister about going undercover where the implications of ‘big brother’ creates an environment of distrust. On the other hand, there’s something spectacular that happens when the boss rolls up his sleeves, gets down in the trenches with the troops to work alongside, and together set out on a unified mission to win the battle.
Rather than plotting your secret identity, leave the thrill of undercover adventures to the big screen and instead start ramping up your social strategies. Here are four truths to get you heading in the right direction.
1) Don’t mistake this as a passing trend
A McKinsey Global Survey revealed that, based on input from 3,200 executives, ‘more intensive use of Web 2.0 technologies is correlated with market share gains and stronger financial performance.’ This is perhaps the most direct correlation to-date between enterprise collaboration and market share gains –a strong indicator that Enterprise 2.0 is here to stay.
As social software gains traction, it becomes clear that this is not a one- trick pony. Cisco recently announced the results of a global study that found 77% of IT decision makers planning to increase spending on collaboration tools – perhaps agreeing with sentiment among employees in this study that social media application are needed to get their job done.
CSC, a global IT leader with 95,000 worldwide employees, shared its success with Computerworld:
“In the six weeks, 20,000 people adopted it and 55,000 people are using it a year on. It has been a really effective way for our president to engage with staff. I communicate with my 3000 customers through video blogs because that’s where my team lives.” (Ben Patey, CIO)
McKinsey Quarterly (Aug 2010) cited numerous examples of tangible business value derived from an Enterprise 2.0 approach of greater connectedness:
Many organizations remain at the cusp of adoption, awaiting the once-elusive proof that Enterprise 2.0 will bring tangible benefits to their company. But with results such as those shown above, even the most conservative executives must admit: the wait is over.
2) Offline collaboration has become an oxymoron
Early in my career, I worked for a company that was headed by a visionary man at the helm of a high-growth company within a booming industry. As CEO, Don knew the value of keeping open communication lines and frequently made it a point to walk the halls greeting the employees who worked so hard to make the company succeed…assuring them that his door was always open.
Despite the good intentions, it came as no surprise that his open door was not enough to encourage employees to make their way up to the top floor and step inside his office. Recognizing this limitation, he began hosting an early morning breakfast meeting ‘Donuts with Don,’ where a random handful of cross-functional employees was selected to join Don for a get-to-know-you meeting. It was during these casual meetings where he’d hoped to learn about problems, gather ideas for making things better, and begin to create a collaborative environment where all felt free to contribute value.
With Dunkin’ Donuts awaiting, employees nervously shuffled in to the meeting and took their seats at the long, oak board room table. The meeting provided a chance to exchange pleasantries with employees you might not have otherwise met, assurance that the CEO at least knew your name, and hefty travel costs incurred by ensuring remote employees also had representation. But a collaborative environment? Not on your life.
The admirable mission was befallen not from a lack of good intent, but rather by simple human nature. And the pitfalls play out every day in our offices. How many times have you sat in a meeting and watched as the CEO asked about the status of a particular project or customer? You’re aware that there have been problems, your eyes shift around the room wondering how your colleagues are going to respond, until someone breaks the awkward silence and speaks up with ‘everything’s fine. We’re making great progress.’
For better or worse, this simply does not happen in an online environment. The Internet brings out the best and worst in people (which, by the way, is all the more reason why enterprise-appropriate technology must be used, so that the organization maintains a level of moderation). They’re not hesitant to share what they think. It provides the most inclusive way of getting honest feedback and uncovering ideas that people are unafraid to share - outcomes you cannot afford to ignore if transformation is on your company’s agenda.
3) Recognize that not everyone will like it
Without the hoopla of disguises or hidden cameras, enterprise social software enables you to connect with employees you would not otherwise communicate with, and learn about processes that ultimately dictate the success or failure of your business. It also channels the powerful wisdom, insights and knowledge of your employees and customers – in ways that can help you quickly address problems and begin an enterprise-wide transformation.
Consider the vast difference between a connected enterprise, and one that functions within a traditional organizational structure. This scenario played out in an episode of Undercover Boss, where Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment (the largest family-owned theme parks in the nation), connected with an unsuspecting young employee who enthusiastically shared his passion for the company and ideas he’d implement if he were in charge.
In the real world, this young man would never have shared his brilliance with the boss, for a number of reasons that are similar to the barriers faced by nearly every company. The more obvious, of course, is a lack of connectedness. But what if your own leadership team is an even greater obstacle?
Consider an accounts payable clerk in your office who has a great idea on how to speed collections and improve your cash flow. Or a new software engineer who has a brilliant new idea that could bring your product to market months ahead of the competition? Now, send the CEO to their respective desks to ask ‘how’s everything going?’ Chances are, unless you’ve already established an open culture, that open-ended question will be met with a quick halt. But why? Perhaps it’s the devil’s advocate playing in their head, telling them their idea isn’t good enough. Or worse yet, perhaps they’re afraid to step beyond the lines of command, subject to controlling leadership that would rather keep them (and your company) down than to give any subordinate credit.
Those who are territorial, put self motives above company good, or trade good ideas for self promotion are not going to like this flattened hierarchical environment. And in fact, they’ll probably fight you every step of the way. But let’s face it. If you are moving your organization to a more open, collaborative environment, these are not the people you want with you.
4) Transparency requires truth – and your ability to accept it
Who can forget Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Jessup in the film, A Few Good Men? More specifically, who can forget that poignant line from the courtroom scene: “You can’t handle the truth!” (See the infamous scene below, ten seconds into the video.)
To be successful with enterprise social software, we must be willing to accept the truth, which can be one of the most difficult challenges in making the shift to an Enterprise 2.0 company. Social strategies must be embraced from the top down reaching every level of the corporate hierarchy. This requires an openness and willingness to see things that we might not want to see; to hear things we don’t want to hear; to be faced with truths that are much easier to ignore.
Why such resistance to the truth? Because, as the ‘undercover CEOs’ discover weekly on CBS, the truth can oftentimes show us:
Yet it is exactly these types of truths that must be uncovered in order to begin making business better. Regardless of your industry or sector focus, the core necessities for a successful enterprise remain consistent:
And these can only be accomplished through an open enterprise that is willing to see the truth as an opportunity to take action and make things better. Without the hoopla of disguises or hidden cameras, enterprise social software offers businesses an unparalleled opportunity to look deep inside the company – where treasures of knowledge and innovation can be uncovered.
Conclusion
Most early adopters found success with social media in the arms of marketing, where vibrant communities were heralded by the press for the viral attention they commanded. While considered a big win for the PR team, the buzz oftentimes was not sustainable and usually did little to boost the bottom-line. Times have changed, and extreme times call for extreme measures. This is no longer a marketing tactic, but rather a way to insert your marketing role as a change-agent throughout your company. As Undercover Boss so clearly demonstrates, this is a CEO move – a way to find out what’s really going on in your company. A way to discover the truth. A way to make your business better.
Bio:
Kristi Grigsby, Sr. Director of Marketing at INgage Networks, drives the innovation and execution of the company’s marketing strategy. She oversees the conception and strategic development of the brand—including PR, corporate communications, and digital media. Kristi earned her M.B.A. degree in marketing and entrepreneurship from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Find her on Twitter @KristiGrigsby.
Featured in Opinion @ Large
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