'Undercover Boss' is rewarding the 'little people'

This season's breakout hit is CBS' reality series "Undercover Boss."

Renewed recently for a second season, the TV show sends chief executive officers to learn from their underlings how they can improve their companies.

Changing the companies is no easy task, and even more challenging is showing it in a quick-turnaround TV show, executive producer Stephen Lambert said.

"For our filming purposes, when the boss comes to headquarters and meets with the senior management team, there’s a limited amount they can work out and articulate on how they’re going to make changes," Lambert said. "The big systemic changes are things that need thinking through. And in some cases the companies are still thinking things through. It doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen, but the more immediate thing is to tell a co-worker they’ve been working alongside that 'I’m the boss, and you’ve been doing a fantastic job, and I want to thank you in a certain way.'"

To read a feature about how those employees are being rewarded, go here.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)

Video: "Undercover Boss" episode: Igor Finkler, a night driver at 7-Eleven, shows the boss the ropes and winds up with his own franchise. Credit: CBS

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Comments

[beverly stuckey]

please do a show on combined insurance , they are the worse company ever , i bet the ceo doesnt even know how is people are running things , they need to be checked out asap my husband had surgery a month ago and still has not recieved a check , what kind of company is this is , its funny they want their monthly payments but when u need money its like pulling teeth .
angry in pa

[Cristina Lovejoy]

I think that the first episode of UB was heartfelt. I, personally took offense to almost all the "boss'" for their comments about the lower standard motels. The comment made by the the downs employee cleaning the suites that the standards were higher for those that had money than those that want to visit as a new quest. Don't you think that any person of any walk of life deserves to be treated as though they had money? Oh wait that's right if they are spending time there then yes, they are using money. hmmmmm.
I feel that most of these so called boss' are poorer than those that are homeless. Let me explain. If you lost your money you would never make it. You wouldn't know how to survive. What bill to make this week? What should I buy with $25.00that will feed my kids for a week? Do you realize how many business owners CEO's and executives took their own lives when the market crashed? Hundreds.
An awesome boss is he who leads by serving. None of you that I have seen have no idea how to serve. You heard a few stories that made you feel humble and thankful, thankful that you didn't live that way. To really truly serve you need to be in all their shoes not just a few or just for a week. If you worked your way up then yes you are the type of boss that serves. I was in management for 28 years I had a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders, however, my co-workers came before I.
Food for thought "Those that are the unseen are the the ones that make your company work". Hooters guy, you are the worse of all, with your openings and all the hot girls hanging off of you, you are the one who has made it sexist. Men go to hooters for the clean show that wives would leave them for going to the strip joint. Sexist is Sexist. Stop trying to soften the truth about it.
If any of you would like some pointers of how to treat fellow employees contact me.
Cristina Lovejoy
sassy3689@yahoo.com

[jackie majors]

This is such a farce. Having worked for Time Warner in management for many years there is no way these so called "under cover bosses" would be meeting with employees that upper management didn't approve beforehand to put forth the best of the best in the company.The generosity bestowed upon the employees is just so much b.s. What about all those equally deserving employees that aren't exposed to the big boss? This entire program is crap!!!

[Paulette]

I personally enjoyed watching Undercover Boss whether its a farce or not.. I salute those who stood out.. Good for them & the ones that were not doing their job got ya...You know the saying, Treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself..