If you’ve ever spent time in Bayou Country, you know that Cajuns love to talk. And depending on their passion for their subject, they can gesture wildly as they speak. It doesn’t matter where they are — a family gathering, a church function, a PTA event, a business meeting, or even a wake or a funeral — Cajuns get animated when they talk and don’t care who else is talking at the same time.

In South Louisiana, the expression “gumbo ya ya” actually has nothing to do with gumbo or any kind of food. Rather, it describes a scene in which everyone chatters at once. This occurs frequently in Cajun culture; does it happen in your organization, too?

Do you participate in any of the “gumbo ya ya” that goes on among your team members?

Do You Listen?

As a leader, you might be so busy barking out directions, delegating, and giving instructions, you don’t think about taking time to listen to what others are telling you.

But by becoming a better listener, you’ll increase your own productivity as well as that of your team. You’ll improve your ability to influence, persuade, and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings on the road to resolving problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses — all necessary activities for workplace success.

Clearly, success stems from listening well, a skill you likely use more than any other kind. To consciously practice your listening skills, follow these do’s and don’ts-guidelines you’ll find handy in all locales and relationships:

• Do ask for and really listen to what others say. You may be surprised at the insight they offer.
• Don’t interrupt, draw conclusions, or judge the speaker.
• Do open your ears, mind, and heart to the suggestions of others, to new ideas, and to creative solutions.
• Don’t assume you already know what others are about to say, or worse, finish their sentences for them.
• Do listen to what’s being said as well as what’s not being said. Often team members have insight into a problem but need to feel safe from judgment or condemnation before opening up. As a leader, remember what you don’t know can hurt you!
• Don’t focus on your next statement while the other person speaks. Waiting for your turn to say something is not listening!
• Do maintain eye contact with those who are speaking, giving them your full attention. Have you ever tried to talk about something important to someone who was multitasking? It’s frustrating! So when someone is trying to talk to you, give them the respect of being fully present and attentive.

Continually work on achieving and modeling good listening skills for yourself and your team members. Don’t let “gumbo ya ya” become part of your organization’s culture!

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing or do differently

to improve your communitcation with your team members? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

Where I come from, sugarcane is King! Sugarcane arrived in Louisiana with the Jesuit priests in 1751, who planted it near their church in what is now downtown New Orleans. The sugarcane industry has continued to grow and flourish (pun intended) lo these many years.

We recently spent the weekend with some friends at an historic plantation home in St. Martinville, Louisiana. It is a working plantation with the sugar mill located right next to the home. We visited in October, which is right in the thick of grinding season – or the harvest time when the sugarcane is brought to the mill for processing. I love watching the cane trucks and wagons deliver the harvest to the mill.

I’d like you to imagine for a moment that you are a sugarcane farmer. You have the opportunity to farm acres and acres of land. Your equipment is capable of harvesting all of your acreage and you have the potential to make a huge profit.

Would you farm and harvest only two of your fields and leave the other two fields to go to waste? Hardly! You would farm, harvest, and fully process all four fields, getting the maximum possible benefit/profit from these natural resources.

In business, why would you deal with people any differently? Often leaders fail to realize or draw out the maximum possible benefit from their greatest natural resources – their people. But to reap your best possible harvest, just like with sugarcane farming, you must maximize your resources.

I’m not a farmer, (although I used to own some overalls at one time), but I’ve put together a few tips for cultivating and harvesting a banner crop:

Soil – As any good farmer knows, you’ve got to start off with good, nutrient-rich soil to grow anything successfully. You will want to till and prepare your land before you begin planting to provide the proper foundation for your crop. In business, you need to provide a proper foundation and plan for success. Identifying and establishing your mission, vision, and values for your organization or even your division of the organization is important so that your team members know the growth plan.

Seed – Perhaps it goes without saying but in farming you need to select a crop that is suited for your climate and environmental conditions. Sugarcane is best grown in a tropical or semi-tropical climate, so it is well-suited for the warm, sultry, often steamy climate of South Louisiana. As a leader, you must make wise choices in selecting team members. Although perhaps well-qualified, not everyone will be a good fit for your organization or with your team.

Fertilize - Not all of the nutrients necessary for a bountiful harvest will be available from the soil, so some fertilization will be necessary. Using the right kind of fertilizer and in the proper amounts will be key to nourishing a healthy crop. As a leader, it is up to you to “nourish” and nurture your team members by providing learning and growth opportunities. Sit down with employees and devise a development plan for each individual. Allow team members to further develop their strengths, explore interests, and hone their skills.

Irrigate – As you may know – if you’ve ever spent five consecutive minutes in South Louisiana – it tends to rain a lot here. Sugarcane, like many crops, needs proper, consistent irrigation. Although we get a lot of rain, it’s not necessarily consistent. So many cane farmers irrigate their fields. As a leader, once you’ve prepared the proper foundation and put together a winning team, you’ve got to maintain a work environment and business culture that allows team members to thrive. A work environment of respect and dignity are essential. View each team member as an individual, with valuable gifts and talents to contribute to the organization.

Harvest – Starting in the fall, typically October, harvesters cut off the cane tops and cane loaders place the cane in large wagons for transport to the sugar mills.

At the raw sugar mill, the sugarcane is washed, crushed, and the juice is boiled down to a thick syrup. The cane by-product is bagasse, which is used as a fuel to power the factories. The thick syrup is separated into sugar crystals (“raw sugar”) and molasses (used in livestock feed). Every bit of the sugarcane is processed and utilized. As a leader, your role is to bring out the best that each individual has to give to accomplish company goals. Don’t let any talents go to waste. Both the individual and the organization will realize a cornucopia of benefits.

By investing in your greatest natural resource – your people – you can cultivate untapped strengths, draw out hidden talents and reap a sweet harvest.

It was really a spur of the moment decision. We didn’t plan for it; we certainly didn’t budget for it. My family’s decision to take off for a 10-day California vacation was one of those “carpe diem” moments. But one of the best decisions we’ve ever made for our family.

My mom passed away a few months ago, just shy of her 90^th birthday. I say this, not to elicit sympathy, but to give context to our vacation decision. Mama lived a long, full life, and her quality of life at the end was almost nil. Her passing caused me to reflect on the good memories and to think about my own family. My parents took us on awesome vacations, and those were certainly part of the good memories. Oh we’ve taken our kids on great vacations, but California just didn’t seem to happen, despite the fact that I wanted them to experience the beauty and wonder of Yosemite and the giant Sequoias. Since California is such a big state, you have to devote a fair amount of time to get around. Every summer for us has been spent at a ballpark. Until this year, that is.

Anyway, we did it. I must admit, I threw myself into the experience. I can’t think of a time when I left my business for two full weeks, (I stayed on for the National Speakers Association conference in Anaheim). Before leaving I notified clients, made arrangements for special purchases to be handled by my Virtual Assistant, and really didn’t look back.

Sorry, Facebook friends, I did not post “in the moment” pictures of us walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, nor did I allow you to share in the awe and beauty of the Sequoias or the incredible falls of Yosemite. I didn’t post my exuberance over white water rafting for the first time, nor did I share my reactions to the quirkiness of Venice Beach or the magnificence of Big Sur Drive.

Sorry. Those experiences were just for us. And I was truly in the moment.

One of the best aspects of the getaway was that I really did allow myself to “unplug”. I didn’t bring my laptop, and while I have an i-phone, I didn’t check e-mail or call the office to check voice messages. And I didn’t feel guilty about it either. Unplugging was something I did for myself – and for my clients.

By truly unplugging and disconnecting from my clients, from social media, and 24/7 accessibility, I was able to reconnect with my family. And they are my top priority. It’s not that I don’t value my clients. I do. But they know, from working with me, how very important it is to have your priorities in order.

I am of better service to my clients for having allowed myself to unplug and “recharge”. Certainly the same holds true for any leader. Can you unplug so that you can be of better service to your team? You may not be able to take off for two weeks, but have you considered really disconnecting for even a few days? I know leaders who go on vacation for a week, but they’re constantly fielding calls, emails, and text messages. That won’t cut it.

Why not try to disconnect for even short periods of time?  Train someone to hold down the fort during your absence. You’ll come back refreshed and rejuvenated and your team member will have a renewed sense of confidence and self-assurance.

Let me know how it goes. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work!

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• do differently

to unplug and recharge? Use the comment box below and share your action plan with us!

In South Louisiana we often use the term “Lagniappe”. If you’re not quite sure what this term means, “Lagniappe” is a term that actually has Spanish and French roots. (Remember, Louisiana has been under both Spanish and French rule, so many of our terms are derivatives of those languages.) ‘Lagniappe’ refers to a little something extra that a friendly shop keeper might add to a customer’s purchase.

We use it today to mean an extra gift or benefit – a bonus. Folks in other parts of the country might use the term ‘baker’s dozen’ to mean the same thing. Literally translated, it means “to give more”.

To give more. If only we could each adopt this as our personal philosophy and practice! In customer service and sales the application of this term is pretty clear – to give more than is expected.  In my business I have made it a practice to under-promise and over-deliver – with the emphasis on over-delivery.

For my family’s California vacation, we enlisted the help of a travel agent who booked hotels, advised us about driving distances, and recommended sites to see. He was compensated for his efforts, but, as “a little Lagniappe”, I’m putting together a Cajun gift basket to send to him.

As a leader, can you give more – offer a little lagniappe?

Think about how you can give more:

• Thanks for a job well-done. Gratitude can go a long way toward re-energizing people to give their best.
• Time to mentor and teach. Share your wisdom, knowledge, and experience to help someone grow and learn.
• Attention to what people are saying. Listen more and talk less. Hear what’s being said as well as what’s not being said. (Yeah, so you might have to peel your eyes away from the i-phone for a few minutes.)
• Empathy for another’s circumstances and struggles. Take your focus off of yourself and really tune in to the other person. Empathy is the ultimate virtual reality. Put yourself in their shoes.
• Feedback to team members. People would rather receive negative feedback than no feedback at all. Please tell them how they’re doing!
• Consistency in your actions and behavior. Your team members need to know what to expect from you – day in and day out.
• Respect for others. Acknowledge that differences in behavior, style, and approach are, as Martha Steward would say “a Good Thing”. Appreciate that we each have strengths that add value to the team.
• Trust in your team members. This is perhaps one of the toughest things to give as a leader, but probably one of the most empowering things you can do for your team members. Mentor, teach, guide, give feedback, and then trust them to get the job done their way.

Lagniappe is a way of life in South Louisiana – a part of our culture. As a leader, you can make it part of your organization’s culture. I believe that the more you model the practice of giving a little lagniappe, the more positive results you will see from your team… and the more positive results for your customers, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing

to give more – to offer a little lagniappe for your team? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

Here in South Louisiana the summer heat is in full force, and you can tell just by looking at my yard. With severe drought and daily temps in the 90′s , my grass looks, well, a little piqued. Since I’ve begun a daily watering campaign, though, the grass has perked up a bit and I’m seeing less brown and more green every day. (And green contributions – towards my water bill, that is – are welcome!)

Work teams can suffer from the same ailment – and the problem has nothing to do with the summer heat. If your team is suffering from the blahs, you may need to revive it.

They say that familiarity breeds contempt. Contempt may be a bit strong, but I would agree that familiarity can breed apathy, irritation, impatience, and intolerance, though. When you’ve worked with someone for a while, you can start to take their contributions for granted – even become annoyed with their little quirks and habits. Like in any relationship, we sometimes need to be reminded of the value they bring to the team.

Work can also become boring, stressful, or unchallenging. After being in the same job for years, team members can get as burnt out and faded as my grass.

If team members have become a bit jaded, (fatigued, overworked, apathetic, unappreciative, cynical) by their work, as a leader you can revitalize and rejuvenate them without spending a lot of green. Here are a couple of ids:

• Try to bring some fun into the workplace. This could be in the form of po-boys or pizza delivered for lunch, a weekly drawing for prizes, a football pool, (of course, you may have to base it on high school or college football games at the rate the NFL is going!) fun awards when you “catch someone doing good”, or playful awards for doing something silly or embarrassing. You could hold friendly contests, (maybe rif off of one of the popular “reality” TV shows), with proceeds going to a charitable cause, put together a competitive team of some kind – sports, trivia, etc., and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments. If appropriate you may even have themed dress or dress-down days. There are tons of things you can do to introduce some lightheartedness into your work environment. Have some fun!
• Schedule a team retreat where team members come to understand and appreciate each other better. This is best held away from work with a professional facilitator, and perhaps meals and refreshments served. (I work with many clients in this capacity and can tell you first-hand the long-term benefits of holding such a retreat. Give me a call or drop me a line to schedule one for your team.) And no, this does not mean that you will be holding hands and singing “Kumbaya”. (Maybe “We Are the World”, but never “Kumbaya”!)
• People need to know that they are making a difference. Remind team members of the bigger picture and how their contributions count towards the greater good. Acknowledge, thank, and praise people every chance you get. I know one manager who makes it a point to have lots of gift cards to popular retail stores on-hand. When someone really performs and produces, they are promptly rewarded with a gift card for their efforts.
• If possible, encourage employees to take some time off to rest, relax, and recharge their batteries. I know this may not be an option for those without vacation time, but where possible, encourage people to really “unplug” once in a while.
• Provide growth opportunities for team members by giving them new, challenging responsibilities, or by allowing them to cross-train, take professional development classes or learn a new skill that interests them.

You’ll make your competition green with envy (sorry I couldn’t help myself!) if you “Go Green” in your work environment. You will have more engaged, energized, and enthusiastic team members. And remember, happy people are productive people.

Get creative!

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing or do differently

to revitalize your work environment and rejuvenate your team members? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.

This adorable video reminds me of the importance of speaking the other person’s language. The ability to communicate effectively is vital to a leader’s success. But when talking to your team members, do you sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher, (remember Wah wah woh wah wah?)? Instead of just communicating to them, why not connect with them? Speak their language and you’ll really get people engaged.

Did you realize that each person is constantly giving us cues and clues as to their preferred communication style? It’s up to you to watch and listen so that you can figure out the other person’s preferences, and then take your message and “translate” it into their language.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you have to change your expectations, goals, or intended results. What I am saying is that if you want other people to really “get” you, you need to speak their language. For the past three years, my daughter has traveled to Europe. Obviously, when in Rome, she did as the Romans do and she spoke Italian. Or as Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) from Talladega Nights would say, “We’re in America and we speak American”. This is simply the same concept.

I’m not a particular fan of text messaging. I guess it’s because my brain goes faster than my fingers can type on those little buttons. But, I know that my kids respond best to text messages. So, when I want to tell them something quickly, I text. I know that it’s their preferred way of communicating. Obviously, texting won’t replace face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball conversations, but when I want to get a quick response, I know that it’s the best method. (The “lagniappe” of using their preferred communication method is that they often text me short, but thoughtful messages, wishing me luck for a speaking engagement, or telling me thanks for all I do for them.)

My point is that if I want my message to be understood and received, it’s up to me to adapt to the other person’s communication style, not the other way around. Pay attention to the way the other person communicates and mimic his/her style. For instance, notice whether the other person prefers communication to be:

• Short, sweet, and to the point?
• Casual, friendly, and enthusiastic?
• Thoughtful, methodical, and sincere?
• Detailed, accurate, and factual?

No, the twin boys in the video aren’t in Rome, but they are definitely speaking a foreign language. The important thing is that they are both fluent in the same language and they are truly connecting with each other.

As a leader, are you truly connecting with your team members? Are you speaking their language?

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing

to connect and engage your team members? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

Last week here in South Louisiana we celebrated Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday”. What a fun time! Mardi Gras Day is the culmination of the Mardi Gras season, which officially begins on Twelfth Night, or January 6th each year. It runs until the day before Ash Wednesday and is a time for celebration, revelry, and often, indulgence. Ash Wednesday begins the austere, reflective time of Lent.

Regardless of your religion, faith, or beliefs, I think there are some leadership lessons for all of us in these traditions. Although folks in South Louisiana typically need no excuse for a party, Mardi Gras provides a time for everyone to come together, forget their differences, and celebrate with a certain abandon and “joie de vivre”. Everyone you meet is festive and happy to share in the celebration.

In the workplace, couldn’t we all use some time for celebration and festivity? You know the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is true. Now, I’m not suggesting you should throw a parade or have a Mardi Gras ball in your workplace. I understand that yours is a serious business. But are you creating opportunities for celebration, lightheartedness, and, well, fun?

I know you may be thinking that the nature of your work is too serious to bring in any kind of fun. Well, I say that’s all the more reason you NEED to bring in fun. I know folks who work in healthcare settings where they are treating cancer patients and terminally ill children. Now that can be pretty grim and depressing work – if you don’t provide opportunities to lighten things up. Their patients don’t need caregivers who are grim and depressed. Rather, they need to be around people who are upbeat and positive. Your work may not need to be as serious as you’re making it and you may not need to be such a party pooper. I’m just saying…

Research shows that people who enjoy their work environment are more engaged, have fewer accidents, provide better customer service, and are much more loyal than those who do not enjoy their work. In other words, there’s a strong business case for bringing more fun into your work environment. Think about ways you can “jazz” up your workplace.

Mardi Gras is the time of revelry before the somber, austere time of Lent. During Lent we pause and become rather introspective. Don’t we all need to pause once in a while to step back and reflect? As a leader, it is your responsibility to take the long view – to look back to see where we’ve been and to have a vision for where we’re going. As a leader you need to have the top of the hill view. You’ve got plenty of people who have the view from the foxhole.

After every leadership retreat or training program that I facilitate, I conduct what I call a “post mortem”. I review feedback and consider what aspects of the program went well, and which could have been better. In this way, I am always refining my content and delivery. Without this time for reflection, I would not continue to improve. Take the time to think about lessons learned with each experience so that you can plan for improvement in the future.

It may sound counterintuitive, but we need to slow down in order to speed towards increased productivity, problem solving, and innovation. In stepping back, we are actually able to move forward.

Yes, as leaders, we need to create times for BOTH celebration and introspection.

Action Time!

What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing

to bring both a spirit of fun and a time for reflection to your work team? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

I believe that a leader’s job is much the same. Sure, you can take the time to figure out what your team member, Joe’s problem is, and then come up with a solution for him. I understand that often the quickest way to get Joe back on track is to tell him what to do. And if you have the answers to his dilemma, why would you withhold them when he obviously needs guidance?

The problem with this approach is that the next time Joe has an issue, he will run to you to fix it for him again. (This, of course, goes back to the Bible… “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”)

Taking on a coaching role, you would ask Joe questions that help him to identify the issues at hand and then, once he has identified the problem, you would ask more questions to draw out some possible solutions.

Notice, that your questions will support Joe in drawing out possible solutions. The underlying assumption here is that you believe Joe (and others) can solve their own problems. In my coaching and training programs, I’ve always operated under the premise that my role is to draw out of participants what was left in, and NOT to be the expert whose role is to put in what was left out. Your role as a leader is very similar.

You’re neither diagnosing nor prescribing here. If you tell Joe what his problem is and what to do to fix his issue, he is stripped of ownership. It is no longer his responsibility to resolve this issue. Without ownership, if the proposed solution doesn’t work, he just sits back and waits for you to come up with an alternative solution.

The best way to help Joe is to provide a supportive relationship that allows him to take responsibility and ownership. You can do this by asking him what he should do, asking him what he will do, and asking him when he will do it. By asking questions, you can activate Joe’s own energies and motivations to reach the end that will be the best solution.

Your questions should be designed to make Joe think. The best plan is to stay away from closed-ended questions, or those that can be answered with a ‘yes’, ‘no’, or a one- or two-word answer.

The best questions are open-ended, and can be answered in a number of ways. There is no right or wrong answer, so they won’t put Joe on the defensive. Typically, open-ended questions begin with words like “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why’, or “how”. Questions that begin with any of these words will prompt Joe to dig deep and come up with ideas and answers that he hadn’t considered previously. You can draw out of him what would have been left in had you told him what to do.

Once Joe arrives at his own plan of action, he will be committed and engaged in carrying out the plan. He will have ownership in seeing it through.

This approach will free you from having to repeatedly play the role of “Rescuer” and will allow Joe to fulfill his potential.

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• do differently

to draw out the greatness that was left in your team members? Use the comment box below and share your action plan with us!

My friend, Maxine is fond of reminding me that, much as we might wish to and try to, we can’t change other people. I know this to be true, but must admit, I need to be reminded now and then. This New Year, why not focus on improving yourself instead of trying to change someone else?

Here are just five behaviors that you could adopt to greatly improve your relationships, connections, and influence with other people. Just for kicks, we’ll count down from number five:

5. Back off! Yep, you heard me right! The most effective leaders empower their team members to make decisions and to deal with the consequences of those decisions. Sure, they’re available to provide guidance and direction when needed, or even to give a gentle nudge, but they are not constantly reminding each team member of what she needs to do next, directing and dictating her every move, or in her “grill” every time she turns around.

4. Walk your talk. Folks are looking to you to model the way and follow your actions over your words. Put another way, “What you’re doing speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying”. I cite this often and TRY to live by it. As my teenagers started driving, imagine if I told them to buckle up EVERY time they got into the car, but then didn’t do so myself? Which would have more impact on them, my words, or my actions? You know the answer, and you also know it can be tough to walk your talk. You’ve just got to be consistent and know that you are being watched!

3. Get some “Culcha” Dawlin’. You create the culture of the organization. What kind of culture are you creating? Do you lead by intimidation or command and control? Where I’m from, in the bayous of South Louisiana, we find a reason to celebrate EVERYthing! Shouldn’t you do the same within your organization? Celebrate successes and achievements. Create a culture where cooperation and collaboration are valued, recognized, and rewarded. Inspire team members to work together to achieve greater success.

2. Recognize a job well done when you see one – and say so. Most people don’t expect or even want a parade in their honor when they do something extra ordinary. They simply want to be acknowledged. Nothing will douse a team member’s enthusiasm, dedication, or loyalty quicker than absolutely no reaction from a leader when he’s gone above and beyond the call of duty. Acknowledging a team member can be as simple as an “Atta Boy/Girl” in the presence of his peers, a hand-written card, or even just a sticky note on his desk thanking him and letting him know that you appreciate the hard work.

1. Dare to embrace the different. Recognize that each person is a unique individual with different behavioral styles, communication preferences, and motivational needs. And different, as Martha Stewart would say, is a “Good Thing”. Successful leaders translate their message to “speak the language” of their team members. Same message, but perhaps presented differently to each team member.

The best way to learn how to adapt your message and to gain objective understanding of yourself and those around you is through a valid assessment/profile of behavior. This is where DiSC® comes in. DiSC® is an amazing tool that I use, and that thousands of organizations world-wide have used to help leaders become more self-aware and to assist them in communicating and connecting with team members, peers, subordinates, and customers. DiSC® can help improve communication, ease frustration and conflict, and develop effective leaders, managers and teams. If you’d like to take the DiSC® profile yourself, or to learn more about our resources, go to www.ledetmanagement.com.

Action Time! What will you:

•start doing,
•stop doing, or
•continue doing
to improve your people skills and become a better leader in 2011? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

I have a confession to make. Here, lean closer. I don’t want just anybody to hear this. I have never watched a reality television show! You heard me right. I’ve never witnessed one airing of “American Idol”, never dialed up “Dancing With the Stars,” and never tuned in to one episode of “Real Housewives of Anywhere,” “The Bachelor/Bachelorette,” or even one installment of “America’s Got Talent”. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of that. Reality TV has just never interested me.

UNTIL, that is, I caught a snippet (on the national news), of “Undercover Boss”. For those of you who are like me and have been catching up on your reading and flipping past the plethora of reality TV shows, this program features the CEO of a prominent company who goes “undercover” as a new employee within his/her company. The CEO- turned-entry-level-employee has the opportunity to experience the effects of his/her leadership and company policies first-hand.

This concept really piqued my interest, so I went online and watched a couple of episodes – all in the name of professional research, of course. Seriously, though, it was pretty interesting. Once you get past the fact that these people have a cameraman following them around and recording their every interaction, (they tell the “real” employees that they are documenting the experiences of new employees), it is pretty telling.

I wonder… as a leader, if you had the opportunity to “go undercover” in a similar manner, what would you find? What do your employees think of your leadership style? Your policies and procedures? The company culture and environment you have created?

I dare say, this is not for the faint hearted. You’d have to be open to receiving the unvarnished, non-sugarcoated truth to go undercover like this. Many of these “bosses” discover how unrealistic their policies are in the “real” world. Some are floored by the level of dedication and loyalty expressed by employees in the lowest ranks of the organization. Most are moved to make some changes in their leadership practices.

Again, I ask you, what would you find? Have you created an environment of respect and trust? Do team members feel comfortable disagreeing with you for the greater good of the company or the customer?

Or are your employees walking around afraid to mention that, ahem, the emperor, (aka YOU), has no clothes?

It can be very intimidating to ask for candid feedback from your team members and direct reports, peers, and superiors. It’s a little like – ladies you’ll appreciate this analogy – trying on bathing suits in the department stores. You know, they’ve got those (dreaded) mirrors that give you the complete view from every angle. (Who invented those mirrors anyway? I hate those things!)

Getting a peek at that rearview can be a very powerful experience for most people. Seeing yourself from every angle, including the perspective of your team members, can even move you to change some things.

I challenge you to get up from behind that desk and go out and mix and mingle with the rank and file. Ask for, and really listen to, their input. Ask questions about their experiences and their realities.

What you find may be quite revealing!