Weeks 1 and 2 of Undercover Boss were pretty informative, enlightening and inspirational, so I am going to continue this series of observations and synthesis of the lessons I am learning from the show. This week featured Joe DePinto, President and CEO of the convenience store giant 7-Eleven. There are very few brands, especially retail chains that have the global reach (36,000 stores worldwide) and recognition than 7-11. They pretty much defined what we consider to be the modern convenience store.

1. Every employee has a story to tell. When is the last time you stopped and asked them to tell you about it. Knowing their stories helps you know how to motivate and manage them more effectively. It’s such a small thing, but it’s also so important. That’s a recurring theme throughout the past 3 episodes, but one that is worth repeating. The greatest asset that your company/organization has are its employees!
2. Consistency is key. If you have programs that are implemented across the organization make sure that they are done in a very consistent manner. Programs are normally created for a reason…make sure everyone across the organization knows what the reason is and why the role that they play is important. Anything less will ensure that the program will fail.
3. Opportunity to grow and advance is a key recruitment and retention tool. The best thing you can do for the health of the organization is to create (and communicate) a well-definited path for advancement. You can’t sell the idea of careers without having a career path!
4. Your customers impression of your organization isn’t based on some grand brand promise or fancy marketing materials, it’s based on where and how they interact with you. Corporate HQ can be the pinnacle of organization and efficiency, but if where the customer interacts with your company isn’t, the impression that they will have will be less than favorable.
5. Make things fun. This was an afterthought (seeing Joe’s speech) but I did notice it at the end. If people are encouraged/allowed to have fun at work it makes the environment a lot more enjoyable for all.

This weeks episode wasn’t as inspirational as the past two. Either that or I am constantly raising the bar and expect more and more from the show. Regardless, I’m still a fan of the show and I can again reiterate what I have said for the past few weeks. I enjoy the show because it continues to expose me to leaders who really do care about their company’s and are willing to do whatever it takes to help the organization succeed and grow. In the end that benefits everyone.

Posted via web from Dave Sabol