The Cultureship Blog

Spending time with front line staff should be something all senior managers do.  Not all the time, obviously, but frequently, wholeheartedly and with good intentions.

Yes, there will be regular reports from managers about what is going on and the odd social gathering might even unearth a few additional rumours but in order to have a full picture of your organisation, you really need to see it.

Better still, see it through the eyes of the people who work there day in, day out.  In fact, in terms of the reality of relationships and their contribution to productivity and fulfilment, it’s the only view that matters.

This is the premise of the Channel 4 series, Undercover Boss.  Last night’s covert chief exec was Colin Drummond of waste and recycling company Viridor – hardly the most glamorous of companies but one which is doing well despite increasing competition in the industry.

Colin becomes ‘John’ for five days and works amongst frontline staff in his business, whilst being followed by a camera crew.  He wanted to see what was really going on in his organisation.

It’s not about snooping – looking for things going wrong, trying to catch people out.  It’s about just seeing what is really happening.  Perhaps something dreamed up in a management meeting is actually creating unnecessary work for staff.  Or maybe something going really well is kept under wraps because it’s not in line with official procedures.

He met some tremendous people; the dedicated team at the Oldham tip (waste centre in industry parlance) who welcome every car with a cheery smile and instant advice on where to chuck the remains of your shed or granny’s old telly; the agency worker, who met his fiancée whilst sifting through paper and card at a rate of knots; the duo who proudly kept their site spotless (one of whom had cancer yet took holiday in order to undergo treatment); and the swearing, smiling face of the commercial waste collector who recognised that being a jobs-worth about overfull bins would be detrimental to the business.

- Wonderful displays of loyalty, commitment to their jobs and passion.  Yup, passion about waste management.  And why not? It was great.

OK – you could argue that the TV crew following Colin/John around had an influence.  Who, after all, is likely to give their company a complete slating on national television?….Although I am quite sure in some organisations people would jump at the chance.

There was, however, one site which did not come up smelling of roses, at least not in the corporate culture sense.  The conditions were filthy and “Not what our employees deserve” according to Colin.  The result? – £25,000 put aside to improve facilities.

After the time honoured big reveal at the end of the show, all those that Colin/John met were thrilled.  Not because they were on telly but because they had been recognised, offered some major inclusion in the success of the organisation – all of them.

“I can’t thank you enough that you’ve said ‘thank you’ to us.  I know it sounds a bit silly but that thank you that you just gave to us was better than anything we’ve had.”

These are the guys who’ve brought recycling up from 20 to 51 percent in two years.  Their best practice will now be shared with other sites.

I admit there might have been some nifty editing which showed the staff and Viridor in a favourable light but the message was clear.  If you don’t take the time to see what affect management decisions (and a changing environment) has on all areas of your business, then how do you know if it is working as best as it can?

If you’ve got great people,  you want to keep them.  This means recognising the great work they do and saying thanks.  It means sharing good ideas and ensuring individuals and teams’ efforts are rewarded.

The chap with cancer intends to keep working for Viridor as long as he can.  His dedication has been rewarded wit an all-expenses-paid holiday for him and his children, by way of compensation for all the treatment days he has taken as holiday.  The company are also going to help him get back to his previous role as a driver.

“Loyalty goes both ways” he said, emotionally.  Indeed it does. Respect flows in all directions within great corporate culture. It’s far from being rubbish.