Lessons Learned from Watching the First Episode of Undercover Boss on CBS

The first episode of Undercover Boss aired tonight on CBS immediately after the Super Bowl.
One of the filters to use in looking for lessons learned is the "triple bottom line" (People, Planet, Profit).  In the 21st Century, all three are important.

Larry Odonnell, President and Chief Operating Officer of Waste Management, had a plan when he went undercover, posing as Randy, a construction worker exploring entry-level jobs at Waste Management and working with a camera crew for a documentary.  He had some corporate goals and wanted to see how they were being carried out on the ground--and if they were even reasonable throughout the organization.  In his approach it appears he is looking for impact only on profit.  In reality his company and his approach reflect the triple bottom line.

He decided to explore entry-level positions in several areas of his company, beginning with the recycling center. then at a land fill in Pompano Beach,  Florida, then at High Acres Landfill in upstate New York. His fourth "job" is cleaning "port-a-potties" at a Fair in Texas.  His fifth job is at a Trash Hauling Company in Rochester, New York.  Trash hauling is, according to Larry, "the face of the company."

Lesson One:

Larry is a compassionate man.  His personal family has been touched by tragedy and, as he moves through one day at each location, he sees how tragedy and the economy impacts his employees.  In one instance he takes immediate action to try to help an employee.  His follow-through on his experiences changed the lives of each of the employees he worked with while undercover.  He listened and applied what he was learning to his role as President and COO, changing policies and procedures in light of what he learned about and from the employees of his company.

Lesson Two:

The triple bottom line is important.  In team building, there is a distinction made between task and maintenance (people) focus.  A balance between the two is needed.  Too much focus on task (profit) and not enough on maintenance (people) leads to dysfunction.  Larry focused on making changes in the maintenance (people) function of Waste Management and has greatly increased trust and productivity.