If you have been watching the great show Undercover Boss you can see for yourself there are two patterns and themes occurring and repeating themselves.

First, many of these companies are franchising companies – but that doesn’t matter.  Franchising can allow for rapid growth without the headaches of employer/employee relations along with the fact the franchisees help fund the growth.  The recently announced future schedule even includes more franchising companies.  So, the theme is basically rapid growth companies with a distributed work force.

Second, and most importantly, the most interesting recurring theme is that these executives are finally realizing it is not about their business model.  It is not about how to run the business, whether it is a 1-800-Flowers, Hooters, BrightStar, or as we saw last week, Popeye’s. It is about the people theat are brought into the local level, whether as a franchisee or employee, who has what it takes to “be the brand.”  It is all about the people who don't have just the skills because as we heard last week the skills can be taught.  It is about the types of people that possess the values and behavior that is consistent with the brand. Whether it is Kendall-Jackson, Popeye’s or Hooters doesn’t matter.  What matters is that these executives are learning that running, growing and managing their business is a “bottom-up” concept and not a “top-down” relationship. Finally!  More executives should be learning this lesson and rewarding and recognizing the people at the local level.

Personally, I feel validated! 

I have been a franchisor 5 times and have consulted to hundreds of worldwide organizations.  My focus during the past 25 years has been "it is all about people doing business with people."  My personal mantra is that you can have the best business model and the best positioning and the best products but if you don’t recruit, select and retain the right people – with common values and behavior to the company’s mission statement and core values – the results are going to be disastrous as we have seen occur on this monumental and significant reality television show.

Hat’s off to the producers and to the executives who are bold enough to go where most executives have never gone – into their distribution system to see, feel and experience what takes place and what the end result – the customer experience really is!