Work Babble

Undercover Boss - 7-11 episode

By Tony Deblauwe

In this episode, 7-11 CEO Joe DePinto goes undercover in several of the retail chains. Here is a summary of the key areas he came across:

Biggest Coffee Producing Store

Delores was his shift manager. She is a very warm and friendly person that everyone knew. While preparing the coffee machines, DePinto noticed that the set-up process could be more efficient if a sink was installed near the coffee machines. Delores chuckled at the notion. In the reveal, DePinto didn’t mention anything about the work stations; instead he created an awareness fund that raised $150K towards organ donation as a tribute to Delores’ challenges with dialysis treatment.

This gesture is wonderful and generous, but what about improving the store set-up or design? Could the coffee stations be arranged in such a way that they are easier to maintain? Changes to workplace environments is common in corporate settings. Could 7-11 innovate in this way and bolster output?

 

Bakery in Baltimore
There wasn’t much to this story. No apparent problems with quality or processes, but it showed you can never underestimate the talent within the talent of employees. The line manager, Phil, is an artist and he had many drawings up in the breakroom. In the reveal, DePinto offers Phil a spot in the graphic design department. Again, a great gesture for the employee, but what was learned from the pastry assembly operation?

Transportation run
Igor showed DePinto the ropes of delivering merchandise. Igor loved America and appreciated the opportunity he was given. Absolutely nothing else was learned on this trip about how inventory is loaded, transported, dropped off, etc. Besides a joyride from a grateful employee, I didn’t see the point of this segment.

Night Shift
DePinto worked with shift manager Waqas who felt his job was a dead-end. Realistically would most people at the retail chain level, working the night shift especially, be there with dreams of climbing the corporate 7-11 ladder? Maybe, but unlikely. After the reveal Waqas did move into a field ops related role. But honestly, I don’t think the term “career path” comes up too frequently outside of corporate.

DePinto also discovered that food was thrown away and not given to charity per 7-11 policy. My question is who told Waqas to throw away the food in the first place if such a policy exists? If it’s the franchise owner, then this policy needs to be explored because I’m sure many other stores are doing the same thing. Maybe saving food for the charities cuts into profits and the pressure to keep costs down drives the behavior?

So far this is the biggest ho-hum episode of the series. I didn’t see anything that really stood out as methods to update the 7-11 stores. Everything DePinto saw were issues that could have been brought to his attention by regular field operations updates. If I were him, I would at least walk away from the experience making it a requirement for his direct staff to discover ways to get feedback from stores and turn that into innovative best practices.

Book Review - When Turtles Fly

By Tony Deblauwe

When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How to Stick Their Necks Out by Nikki Stone

Retail: $17.95

ISBN: 978-1600376757

I love learning from the wisdom of others - sages that have turned their dreams into successful opportunities especially when others could not see the vision. Nikki Stone captures the unique stories of several successful entrepreneurs including Tommy Hilfiger, Shaun White, Stephen Covey and gold medalist Lindsey Vonn. Stone, an Olympic gold medalist herself in aerial skiing, understands what peak performance is all about and channels that in her research of other successful people.

Stone’s mother taught her at a young age – you have to be soft inside, but have a tough outer shell and never be afraid to stick your neck out. That is the essence of the flying turtle – and the heart of her book – being excellent and driving for your best performance can propel you to extraordinary possibilities.

The book offers coaching exercises as key takeaways from each profile. For instance, following the story for Lindsey Vonn and the tough training and injuries sustained building up to excellence – she had to do things she didn’t like to do. The message - rather than putting off the things you don’t like doing, dive right into them, overcome them, and find your passion to build your soft inside.

Some of the other coaching takeaways include:

Create a list of positive words that can turn you around when you hit a rough patch
Take note of your key accomplishments and why they were successful
Connect to childhood dreams
Change your routine
Tackle the baby steps, not the giant tasks right away (pace yourself)
Focus on questions not answers
Know your root focus and why you have it
Organize, prioritize, and stay on track to avoid downward spirals

All of the stories and tips drive the core principles of the book around Passion, Focus, Commitment, Overcoming Adversities, Confidence, Risk, and Teamwork.  The support of others through the personal journey of finding the soft inside and being inspired by others creates an attitude and way of being that  Stone coins the “Turtle Effect.” Being in the right zone of controlling yourself in your environment maintains peak performance. The effect was great enough that is was instrumental in helping Stone’s parents survive cancer.
 
This book will inspire you. It will make you think about who you are and where you’re at in a way that will ignite your drive to chase your dreams and fulfill your goals. All the profiles showcased outline the core principles of success and that anybody can make it no matter the background, conditions, or timing.  Even better reason to love this book – 25% of the net proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society.

Click to see my interview with Nikki

Newsweek article on Layoffs

By Tony Deblauwe

This is a powerful image for those impacted by recent layoffs. The article published in the Feb 15 edition discusses why layoffs are bad for business. In particular the author, Stanford professor, Jeffery Pfeffer summarized a few top reasons why layoffs don’t work.

Doesn’t give the returns expected. In terms of stock, Pfeffer points to research that shows stock prices go much lower compared to peers who struggled but did not layoff. The cost of rehiring and retraining employees down the road, plus the severance packages awarded, also don’t reduce the overall cost of the action.   

We export jobs as a result. Many countries grow as a result of taking down our workforce. India has seen this the most. Often it’s a 3-1 fill rate for a given job requisitions. It used to be six, but the gap is narrowing. Pfeffer explains that many companies are looking to model our tactics.

Morale and productivity shifts. For those that have to stay and take on extra work, or deal with the emotional loss of co-workers, has a big impact on business operations. How businesses handle layoffs is key as well as how expectations are set with those who stay. Pfeffer also mentioned research that shows benefit costs increase as a result of layoff.

The big point Pfeffer mentions is that layoffs have become part of doing business – not as survival tactic, but as a matter of regular cost reductions. The myth that companies are immediately better off due to layoffs has grown so widely that the practice is considered normal even if the business is doing ok. Furthermore, in the last year due to so many business closures, companies felt the pressure to copycat and have some kind of layoff to show they are “with the times.” No matter how you look at it – layoffs should remain as they always have been – a last resort to keep a business afloat, not a feeble attempt at strategic ROI.

 

Click here for full article

Do You Work for a Defeated Boss?

By Tony Deblauwe

Sometimes it’s tough to be in management. In a harsh economy, the challenges are plenty: budget cuts, no ability to open jobs, can’t offer salary increases, no training, etc. Competition remains fierce, however, and in a climate of never-ending deadlines, the pressure to perform as a manager can lead many to crack.

Employees are stuck in the middle. They too are tying to thrive, not just survive, and when they need something from their boss, they expect to get help. Trying to accomplish work and keeping proper communication channels open is difficult if your boss has chosen to disengage from the work environment. Sadly, some bosses engage their problems by becoming bullies – another side effect of a manager who has lost the will to perform.

Here are some warning signs, and what you can do, if your boss waves the white flag of surrender:

1. Over-sensitive. Does your boss talk frequently about deadlines and tasks to get accomplished and excludes everything else? Can you see your boss operating in a kind of frenzy looking confused? Do you have to walk on eggshells for everything? Is your boss’s door closed all the time? If you see this pattern your boss is swimming in work and has not figured out a good way to prioritize meaningful tasks with ones that can be pushed out.

What you can do: Offer to help take the burden of the low-hanging fruit items. They might be very operational and tactical in nature, but the long term benefits to you of having a boss that gets a handle on his or her workload is huge. Some bosses might feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness so reassure him or her you want to keep things moving not a gesture of pity.

2. Constant negativity. When your boss changes from cheerleader to Debbie Downer, you may have to struggle with listening to the apathy and lack of motivation. Managers often serve as listeners to their employee’s problems or rants, so when the tables are turned, you have to be sensitive to the mental decisions your boss is making regarding work.

What you can do: Focus your boss on the successful progress of getting work done. Even if the accomplishment is small like a successful meeting with a cross-functional team, or meeting a minor deadline for a project, you have to provide moments the boss can get excited about. If being a cheerleaders helps you can try, but generally showing compassion around what your boss is experiencing on an emotional level can help adjust his or her perspective.

3. Visibility. Sometimes defeat is shown through complete withdrawal – not coming into work. If you notice your boss is suddenly never around, or comes in late and leaves early – your boss either has personal issues or is working on layoff or merger details. Not coming into the office is a great way to avoid problems. Of course lack of visibility also includes not reading email or answering the phone.

What you can do. Catch your boss in the office and talk about his or her availability. Offer to help, not judge, why your boss has decided to play the avoidance game. Make your boss feel that you and the team are available to manage what needs to get done. Explain how your boss’s presence in the office is valued and meaningful to completing business priorities. You’re offering your boss a reason to come in that’s not purely paperwork or meetings. The genuine connection to the lives of people and work may be what your boss needs to her to feel back on board.

The reality is that burnout for a manager is the same as employees. The patterns we see of people withdrawing or becoming short-tempered and destructive are common no matter where you work. Managers who feel defeated and unable to cope with the demands of their job are doubly crushed because they not only feel defeated as an individual contributor, but as a role model to their team.

As an employee, you don’t have to play psychologist, but you can behave in the way any team helps a weaker player. From time to time we all have our moments and we appreciate it when our peers take the time to pick us up and get us going again. If your boss seems close to throwing in the towel, don’t wait for the problem to become worse – address it, show support, and your boss, your team, and your work environment, will reap the benefits

Undercover Boss: Hooters Episode

By Tony Deblauwe
A quick review of this week’s episode reveled how vastly different leadership styles can be from person to person and company to company. In the debut episode, Larry O’Donnell of Waste Management, was profoundly impacted by the pace and rigor required to perform all the jobs in the company. At the end, he made big changes that reflected concerns over policy and skill set.

When Hooters CEO Coby Brooks visited several Hooters chains, he too was immersed in the stress of retail food management in a way he was not used to for several years. Plus he had the added burden of living up to the legacy of his father who was a figured reversed by most.  He came across three distinct situations: 

PR about the Hooter girl brand
He went on a street corner with a couple of employees to promote the local restaurant. He was faced with criticism about how the brand and outfits are demeaning to women. Despite the fact he admitted he was comfortable if his two young daughters became Hooters girls when they grew up, it was strange that after so many years he seemed generally perplexed that this attitude was out there. I’ve always wondered how the outfits demonstrate a bona fide occupational qualification but I guess there are sound legal reasons for that. Nevertheless, when he revealed himself, all he did was allow these two employees to assist in PR. Not sure what big change that will accomplish (and why these two employees) but I guess there are changes we might see in the future.

Stress over time management (work-life balance)
One manager who I thought did an excellent job of managing morale and business had difficulties managing time and family. She was very personable and I thought was going to be promoted to a training position or somewhere more corporate where she could find balance and show new managers how to be effective. Instead, in the reveal, all Coby did was give her two weeks vacation anywhere she wanted. How does this impact the issue of time management in the restaurants? It seemed like he missed the opportunity completely to reward a great manager and allow her to get involved in production planning. This was a great gesture for a hard worker but where is the change to the business?

Poor management style (harassment)
This has to be the largest oversight of all. In one store, the manager runs a “contest” to see who can get off work early. This “contest” involved eating a plate of beans the fastest. Coby watched and did not break his cover, but decided to leave and place a call to the franchise owner about it. In the reveal, all he told the manager to do was to apologize to the employees. I don’t know about Texas law, but that behavior should be grounds for termination, or at the very least, temporary suspension. This has harassment written all over it and it’s all on tape. I’m sure this is not the only restaurant in the chain that has managers like this. Again – the opportunity was wasted. I understand that they would not air someone getting fired, and I hope behind the scenes, legal and HR are involved with a deeper investigation, but I wonder if that will happen.

Of course all these shows are edited for television and have gone through tons of legal rigor between shareholders and the executive staff to not cast the wrong message or show how broken a company might be. From a leadership perspective, experiments like this are great and can yield significant changes in operations and process if allowed to. I’ll admit I’ve never dined at Hooters so I can’t comment on the quality of their food products. In the case of Colby of Hooters, I’m curious if anything he did will result in Hooters becoming family friendly. That would be a radical brand change but it could be beneficial to their public image.