As Super Bowl fever sweep the country, it was the new show called Undercover Boss that followed that caught my attention.   That officially makes me an Organizational Development geek, right?   The premise of the show is that  a top company executive goes undercover to work in the trenches of the organization.\n\nThe first show featured, Larry O’Donnell  a.k.a. Randy, President and C.O.O. of Waste Management.     He performed a number of different jobs including cleaning porta-potties, picking up trash and working in a recycling plant.   What he found was eye opening.    The female trash truck driver showed him the paint can she had to use to go to the bathroom, so she didn’t “break route.”   He actually got fired from one of his jobs because he couldn’t meet the productivity quota of filling a trash bag every 10 minutes.  He saw corporate policies misinterpreted and misapplied.\n\nThe show captured the disconnect that so often exists between the organization’s leadership and the employees.  What happened?  He took action.  He got the people he worked with in the field involved in finding solutions based on reality.   He listened.  He earned their trust.   Clients often ask how do I motivate and retain staff?   Try this.\n\nSpend a day walking in the shoes your employees.  This is a practice any leader can take and what they stand to gain is invaluable.  See the world from their perspective.   Get ready to be amazed.