Good leaders are good listeners. They are of the sort that actively seek out feedback from the team, act on the good stuff, try to resolve the bad stuff and recognize that great ideas sometimes do indeed sprout from where you may least expect it.
Get some feedback on the behavioral economics of your workforce – the cognitive, emotional and social dynamics that drive the people behind your company. I can guarantee that for anyone in HR it will be a worthwhile effort. It can lead to a greater understanding of the whole and real discoveries on better ways to do business, collaborate, share ideas, lead a team … the list of pros really could go on and on. Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, sums up the how and why of this approach to leadership rather nicely:
It’s about understanding and managing ideas and talent — and states of mind. That’s where the new leadership breakthroughs will be. Leaders who can quantify states of mind and make decisions about their constituencies based on that information are the ones who will lead the world.
Right on Clifton! In my mind there’s no doubt that gaining a better understanding of employees’ states of mind will ultimately provide a true state of the union.
So when I saw a preview for a new reality TV show that’s set to air on CBS this Super Bowl Sunday – stay with me here, reality TV is not my thing either – I thought back on Clifton’s words which continue to ring true.
The show is called Undercover Boss. CBS’s official spin on the show reads:
Each week a different executive will leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their company. While working alongside their employees, they will see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their company run.
The preview tells me that this show just might be worth a watch (at least for the first episode) … and that I continue to be easily verklepmt:
In the end Larry O’Donnell, President and COO of Waste Management, found a “whole new appreciation” for his employees and that he planned to change the way he went about doing his own job. That’s a good thing. Coffee cans are meant to store coffee and later on, maybe some loose change.
Be inspired by how your team makes things work at work and in their daily lives. I can guarantee that you will likely marvel at the discoveries.
Loved the clip. I cried too.
Coming back to add a quick review of the show… well, if you saw the clip, you saw the gist of (or should I say enough of) the show. A little too much wacky editing, overly dramatic music and staging – however, there’s no still no underestimating the value of the behavioral economics of your workforce.