How many of you have seen the show Undercover Boss? It’s a reality show that’s currently in its eleventh season. The plot is pretty simple: the CEO of a large company goes undercover, working in their own business as a front-line employee. Maybe they drive a truck or wait tables or serve in the kitchen.
They get to see what their company is like on the ground (which only works because they’re undercover). If everyone knew the CEO was there, they’d act differently. But because they think it’s just some new guy, they act the way the usually do.
Everyone’s favorite part of the show is, of course, the end, when the CEO reveals themselves to their employees. They punish the people who were rotten and reward – often in dramatic ways – the people who are truly good employees.
Are there spaces in your life where you wish you could go undercover? Maybe you wish you could be around the dinner table while your family was talking about you. Or maybe you wish you could go undercover at work. Or in a friendship.
We like Undercover Boss because it gives us an unfiltered look at how people are when we’re not around.