Marinnuci: Reality lessons from ‘Undercover Boss'

Reality television may provide the reality check that motivates bosses to improve their automotive service facilities.

Watching "Undercover Boss," on CBS, may spur tire dealers and service shop operators to acknowledge and then rectify problems plaguing their businesses.

"Undercover Boss" cleverly operates one reality show inside another. The program's premise begins with a top executive — usually a president or CEO — who wants to evaluate the company's performance firsthand. To do this, executives physically disguise themselves, assume new identities and perform jobs inside their own companies.

The undercover executive masquerades as an aspiring business person competing in a reality show. Supposedly, they win the show's prize — money to start their own business — by doing their assigned tasks properly.

Part of the reality show ruse is a camera crew that shadows undercover bosses, documenting their sometimes-frightful, sometimes-comic exploits on the job.

Some folks enjoy the show for simple, non-business reasons. For example, they want to see the lengths to which executives go to disguise themselves successfully.

They also want to see if the disguise survives each task the undercover boss must attempt on the job. After all, some of these are arduous chores.

For instance, these bosses may find themselves loading trucks, stocking shelves, taking inventory and learning to operate forklifts. They may toil inside sweltering, suffocating warehouses or workshops.

Sometimes tasks take them high above the ground working on a communications tower or repairing a giant billboard.

In other episodes, the boss washes dishes, preps food or operates the cash register in busy fast-food eateries.

Reality shows rightfully have earned a reputation for being flimsy fare structured to titillate rather than educate.

But to me, "Undercover Boss" succeeds because it educates in an unpretentious, memorable manner. It presents stark insights into companies' problems — unvarnished views that present wake-up calls to owners and managers of other businesses. This includes auto service facilities.

At the end of each episode, viewers see how undercover bosses try to address the issues they encountered. The problems may be personnel, physical plant and equipment and/or inadequate policies and procedures.

One key takeaway is that these issues usually are not unique to one type of business or another. Instead, they occur in a wide range of businesses.

Some auto service professionals constantly complain that all of their problems are unique. Episode after episode, this program suggests that they are not unique.

Another important takeaway from "Undercover Boss" is that its participants may provide practical solutions that tire dealers and service shop operators had not considered.

I have crisscrossed the country since 1976, reporting on the auto repair industry. During the early 1980s, I sold diagnostic and shop equipment to auto repair facilities. Since 1993, I have presented technical training seminars nationwide.

Overall, these work experiences have given me real-world insights into a variety of auto repair facilities. Many of the situations shown in Undercover Boss mirror issues I have seen firsthand.

• First, consider an underperforming auto service business. Experience has shown that the root cause is as likely to be a people problem as it is a strictly technical issue.

For example, owners and managers are not incentivizing worker adequately or recognizing their hard work regularly and genuinely.

• Second, sometimes a manager's greatest shortcomings are not related to the nuts and bolts of auto service. Instead, employee morale suffers because bosses cannot and do not compliment hard work.

This means that the proverbial "attaboy" for jobs well done never occurs because bosses were not trained properly.

• Third, motivating workers can be challenging because no two employees are exactly the same. Some bosses are mystified when they realize that a perk, benefit or bonus that fired up one worker fell flat with the next one.

The better acquainted a boss becomes with each employee, the more likely they are to tailor the motivational tool to the person.

• Fourth, it is human nature for some bosses to avoid potentially unpleasant confrontations with employees who need to be disciplined in some manner. Remember that personnel problems do not occur in a vacuum; these things tend to negatively impact one or more coworkers.

Human nature also has shown that the longer a boss postpones necessary reprimands and sanctions, the lower morale sinks.

It is difficult to put a dollar value on the impact of declining morale.

Meanwhile, restoring a warm, cooperative atmosphere inside a business is a wise investment in the future.

• Fifth, always task a chronic complainer with finding effective solutions for the problem at hand. In fact, clarify at staff meetings that problem-solving is part of every team member's job description.

Set the proper tone: Outside of an immediate emergency, workers should not darken the boss' doorway unless they offer potential fixes for the problem at hand.

• Sixth, always ensure that every worker has read — and fully comprehends — the relevant employee manual and/or shop policy book. The most carefully crafted guidelines are useless if the crew has not read them cover to cover.

When in doubt, schedule a mandatory-attendance team meeting. Feed the staff dinner and then patiently comb through the company policy guide or employee manual.

Address any questions and follow up where necessary.

Also, invite employees' suggestions on improving and updating these materials. Weigh their input thoughtfully and fairly.

"Undercover Boss" is not a perfect program. But I believe it has educated, encouraged and entertained fellow executives beyond expectations.

Give it a try.