You should be.

Last night, CBS premiered an innovative and fresh reality series designed to raise awareness of CEO's who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves, dive into the trenches and learn the truths of their businesses from the bottom up.

Our first look came from Waste Managements' president and COO Larry O'Donnell, who was determined to better his policies by working side-by-side with his employees to tackle important issues in the field. What he learned changed his perspective as a leader while also appearing to improve morale, employee engagement and policies throughout his organization.

The concept of this show and its potential impact on exposing the highs and lows of company leadership can be a game changer (we'll have to wait and see). But it is particularly relevant today as recent studies show trust in leadership is low, employee disengagement is at an all time high and transparency is sorely needed.

Keep in mind that Undercover Boss is a reality TV show and with that comes the special nuances to pull in a viewing audience. Companies were carefully selected (as were employees) to ensure that organizations are appropriately being represented with minimal risk to their brand.

What is nice to see however, is that leaders featured in this weekly show aren't afried to be in the spotlight, get back-to-basics and gain insights into their companies simply by listening and observing their employees; uncovering real gaps in internal communications, breakdowns in processes and a true need for stronger engagement across all levels of the organization. It's a 21st century version of management by walking around–only this time with a camera crew in tow.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this happening on a regular basis without the camera's? It is happening. Remember Cristóbal Conde of SunGard and how he's using face time along with other technologies to engage his employees, gain valuable feedback, lead by example and show real effort toward implementing gradual cultural change. It's evident a shift is taking place in leadership styles. 

Enter the real world.

How do viewers perceive a reality TV show that deals with issues in corporate America? Let's take a look. Twitter and the blogoshpere have been a buzz since last nights' airing:

What are your thoughts on Undercover Boss?

Do you think it has potential to change leadership styles in our country?

Vocii is certainly interested in seeing how this can empower CEO's, employees and businesses to improve business strategy and brand performance.

For quite some time now the employer/employee relationships have been deteriorating. But there are bright spots that have emerged from this dark recession. Employee engagement is starting to look different and leaders are beginning to understand that it's no longer a warm and fuzzy, it's an absolute necessity to catapult their business and drive results.

The reasons are obvious. Progressive leaders recognize that an engaged workforce leads to an engaged customer and that leads to increased profits and better business results.

The question is where to start and how to identify the drivers of employee engagement.    

A new approach to employee engagement

Rather than devising employee engagement surveys that measure attitudes and opinions about the company, how about developing questions that reveal what sort of people thrive in your organization and what motivates them?

Experts like Octavius Black, founder and managing director of the Mind Gym, say viewing employee engagement from a customer-centric focus helps employers understand what drives and motivates employees and therefore, changes the way companies communicate with workers.

As companies begin to grasp the drivers and motivators of the employee base, internal communications strategies begin to look more like external marketing strategies. In many cases this will require increased collaboration between human resources, marketing and communications to develop in-depth qualitative and quantitative methods that tap into the hearts and minds of the employees. –LISTEN.  

What can leaders do to help employees contribute to business success?

Close the trust gap.

If employees cannot or do not trust that company leaders will do what they say they will do, it's difficult to get employees to engage in the business goals. And this is a two way street because employees have to believe that leadership trusts them to do their jobs.

How well managers communicate to employees determines the level of trust and integrity, which can pay huge dividends. Without trust, companies get what The Speed of Trust author, Stephen M. R. Covey, calls “The Trust Tax.” Companies pay when leaders don’t ‘walk the talk.’ –LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

To Brand is Not to advertise

Brand and culture play a big role in employee engagement. When it comes to the brand, many companies have long perceived it as a marketing or advertising campaign. Perhaps some of that misperception lies at the feet of advertising agencies that perpetuated that myth.

In reality, the brand culture of a company embodies the very essence of the organization. It speaks directly to the fundamental fabric of a company and must start on the inside with the employees before it comes to life externally. –KEEP IT REAL.

How does this tie to employee engagement?

When employees understand the brand behaviors, employees are more likely to make a commitment to living the brand behaviors and actually doing what is expected of them in their roles. –SHOW THEM HOW.

What are leaders doing to drive engagement in their companies?

Recognition and rewards have long been a short-term method implemented by companies to drive employee engagement. But for the most part, these have not proven to be effective because they failed to integrate the fundamental measures of performance and examples of ‘how’ to drive business success. Furthermore, they did not align employee behaviors to company strategies.  –IT'S TIME TO GET RESULTS.

Vocii helps companies align employee behaviors with company values and business goals. Our solutions helps companies demonstrate the ‘HOW’ to employees and therefore drive engagement through examples of on brand behavior. This has lead to an 85% participation rate among employees not to mention high praise for leaders who are opening the lines of communication at all levels of the organization.  

What are you doing within your organization to drive engagement and on brand behaviors?