The recent debut of Undercover CEO was a pleasant surprise. I liked it because it spoke to the idea of staying in touch with the people who drive the day to day business. While leadership, direction and vision are all key attributes of an executive manager, it is important to understand the work that is being done and who is doing it.
As was demonstrated in the first episode, objectives that sounded good in the senior management meetings were actually next to impossible and even undermining when implemented in the field. That push for more comes at a cost and that cost could be a slow and negative slide in moral and even attrition.
Knowing the impact of a decision is good but it requires staying in touch with the people that are tasked with execution. Stay visible and follow through in understanding how decisions have been implemented. The difference between the original directive and the actual implementation can be huge. Follow the thought to ensure that your vision is actually working for you, your team and your customers. It takes time but it is time well invested.
