Who doesn’t think running Churchill Downs, the famed locale for the Kentucky Derby, wouldn’t be fun?
Bill Carstanjen is the COO of Churchill Downs, a $500 million racing and gaming Company based in Louisville, Kentucky and the home of the Kentucky Derby. Bill went undercover as an entry level employee by the name of Billy Johns.
As COO, Bill says he spends much of his time, “looking at the numbers, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.” Halfway through this episode he admits to having lost sight of the fact that this is a “people business.” This sounds all too familiar because in each episode the “undercover boss” recognizes the same shortcoming. Clearly, this is a very common problem among companies, both large and small, and across virtually all industries.
Bill concludes the episode with comments such as . . . “I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.” “We are losing a connection with our employees.” “Executives have lost sight of the need to talk to and show that we care about our employees.” Why do we hear the same refrain over and over again from corporate executives?
What we need to figure out is how a company keeps this from happening? What will it take until executives understand that without employees, it is hard to have a successful business?
Rest assured, top executives can not and should not resolve this problem by themselves. However, they must set the tone and expect, no, demand that the rest of management make sure employees know the company cares about them as people. For instance, when I am out meeting clients, I ask supervisors to identify their best performers, but when I ask them any questions about the employee as individuals, they are clueless. It is sad that a supervisor can spend forty (40) hours a week with their “best” employee and not know the people who report to them.
It is so easy to learn about the people you work with. At a minimum, supervisors should know the following about each of their employees:
· The spouse’s name, if married;
· The children’s names, if they have kids;
· Interests outside of work;
· The name of their friends at work;
· Who they eat lunch with; and
· Their birthday.
Other items can be added to the list without the supervisor getting involved in their personal lives. Top management may not know this information, but if the Company philosophy embraces the fact that people are important, then the employee’s immediate supervisor must show he or she sincerely cares.
The point is, if you care about your employees as people, they will care about you as an employer.
“Uncovering the Undercover Boss” is written by Richard Reinhardt, Vice President of F&H Solutions Group LLC. You may contact Richard by email at rreinhardt@fhsolutionsgroup.com or by phone at 901.291.1546.
Welcome to the Empowering Employers and The Survey Says blog by F&H Solutions Group.
Good take away. I was afraid you were going to tell us we should know which employees carry two kazoos in their bra, or that we should give away "plum" positions to choice employees who are nice to us or have struggles in their current positions.
ReplyDeleteI like the show, compared to other TV. But I am a bit cynical about the way the boss always hands out something special to the people with whom he comes in contact. I am curious how the other employees feel about it. How many other underperforming trainers are getting extra stalls?
I agree that regardless of the business, people make the difference. How a corporation treats employees collectively and individually does have a bottom-line effect that is hard to quantify until it is too late. But fairness and consistency are key components to keep the "what have you done for me lately" attitude at bay.
Thanks for reading the blog.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct about how others may feel about the boss taking care of the individuals he interacts with or feels sorry due to their personal challenges. Can you imagine how many other people in the Company who are outstanding performers wonder how they could receive this favored treatment or those who have experienced personal challenges such as a death of a child wonder if or when they will get a "reward". I think these responsaes by the CEO are heart warming and genuine, but not a good managment practice.
I agree it makes for good TV, not sustainable management. I guess "good TV" is why CBS included the kazoo from the chest pocket segment. While Bill found his colossal bugle failure theraputic, most of our employees don't appreciate being put into situations where they are untrained, unprepared and set up for failure.
ReplyDelete