Out of Cover Boss!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 - Joe Kiedinger
Ok, so you may have heard of Undercover Boss. That’s the TV show where CEO’s go undercover as new employees to hear the stories and get a better grasp on what the culture is like in their organization.
I decided to try a week of ‘Out of Cover Boss’. So what does that mean? Instead of being in the cover of my private office, I decided to sit out in the cubicles to better understand what happens everyday here at Prophit. Let me tell you, I am really enjoying it!
Below are my observations that I didn’t realize before:
1) Laughter occurs throughout departments. Several times I encountered fun banter and camaraderie among the team that was joyful and fun.
2) Positive attitudes. We have certain Prophiteers who, due to workload, stay late without complaint. They are working on preventing regular occurrences of these long hours, but in the meantime, their positive attitude is refreshing and appreciated.
3) Lisa eats lots of veggies! My ‘kitty corner’ suite mate, Lisa Reitz, eats lots of healthy veggies and I can hear her munching. It’s kind of endearing.
4) Communication flow. People are clarifying information quickly by simply turning to another Prophiteer and getting the answer immediately.
5) Chatter goes in phases. I feel it’s healthy for “water cooler breaks”, but it’s not happening just in the break room. There is a period of focus and concentration and then a simple conversation can emerge that gives everyone a little chuckle and reprieve from the brain power it takes to run their position.
6) I can hear how professional the Prophiteers are when speaking on the phone to clients and vendors.
I definitely feel more connected sitting out with the group. I may stay out here for awhile, who knows. The only thing I lack is a phone. Our staff is so incredible that nobody calls for me anyway!
I strongly encourage, if you are in my situation, to go ‘Out of Cover’ and hear the sounds of cube living! You may never go back!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Take a week and get out. I think you’ll be glad you did!{{cta(‘e49a53f3-aed6-436a-877d-9364778c12ba’)}}