March 29, 2010Not your average tear jerkers. Why “Getting Naked” business fable “Undercover Boss” show made me cry.

Filed under: New Dynamics by merylrunion |

I’m not a fan of business fables generally, but I enjoyed Patrick Lencioni’s “Getting Naked” tale about a business consultant who learned how to drop the act and become transparent. What struck me most was how the protagonist Jack stopped himself from making a formal presentation to explain why a kinder, gentler approach is more effective, and instead launched into giving his audience the experience of a transparent approach. He dropped the act and made his case authentically and personally, demonstrating instead of talking. He addressed his group personally, where they lived. And they were moved.

When Jack was offered the perfect job to practice his approach, I cried a few tears of joy.

Later I watched the show “The Undercover Boss.” Everyone gets some pleasure out of seeing someone low on the org chart telling the CEO how to do things, even if they think the CEO is a new entry-level employee. But the most enjoyable part of the show was watching people doing their jobs with pride and accuracy and having great attitudes despite hardships.

So I cried again, just a little when these good people were granted boons to make their lives fuller.

These aren’t your usual tearjerkers. But there is something quite wonderful about seeing the workplace personalized. There’s something quite wonderful about seeing the hard lines that separate people dissolve. Whether it’s a consultant who stops being afraid to ask a dumb question and is willing to expose his confusion and admit his mistakes, or a CEO who discovers for the first time what it’s like for the people he employs, it touches the heart. Or at least it touched mine.