Lower level should not mean second rate

Sunday was a day of firsts.

The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, the broadcast became the highest rated television show of all time, and CBS aired a new show after the game called Undercover Boss.

Undercover Boss is a CBS reality show in which a CEO or company executive goes undercover as a lowly, entry-level employee followed by cameramen acting as though he is shooting a documentary on that particular job. The first episode, which aired immediately after the Saints’ victory, featured Waste Management President and Chief Operating Officer Larry O’Donnell working as a newly-hired trash man for his own company.

Larry worked at several jobs ranging from picking up trash on a hill with a hand pike, office work and driving a city trash truck route. In all of the situations, none of the employees were aware that he was from upper management. Larry had real conversations with his temporary co-workers. He experienced the challenges of their daily tasks and learned the real effects of management policies — often policies he implemented.

From this experience, Larry changed as a person. He changed in how he related to people and in his managerial perspective. He suddenly understood from their point of view and could identify with his employees. Larry spent some difficult days in the shoes of his employees and as a result could no longer make a decision without thinking about how it would affect his lower echelon colleagues.

We can all become better businessmen and businesswomen, better leaders and better people by living and experiencing life from as many perspectives as possible.

Students tend to leave school here at USC and go on to be leaders in the world. There is a perception that we come from upper class families and move on to high-level, high-pay and high-prestige positions in society, evading most financial struggles.

Aaron Rovner | Daily Trojan

While I am very grateful we have bountiful opportunities to pursue our dreams as they relate to our careers and otherwise, there is something truly admirable about the people who work jobs that we never consider a remote possibility for ourselves just to provide for the family.

Huey Long, a maintenance worker at USC in the Von KleinSmid Center, is one of my heroes.

Long has been working maintenance at USC for 28 years. Every time I see him near VKC performing his job well, he greets people and always has a smile. He spreads joy infectiously. Yet his job is something we hardly glance at, as if it doesn’t even exist. We are disconnected from occupations that many consider menial, particularly those that require no education.

But those who work these jobs are human beings, living lives, raising families and trying to contribute to society. And the services they provide are crucial to business and daily life. Imagine what the nicest of hotels would look like with grungy bathrooms. Imagine dining halls without food service employees. Imagine the public transit system without bus drivers.

Operations across the board would fail. Yet we forget to honor the individuals who work these jobs, keep our workplaces operable, our classrooms teachable and our luxury amenities luxurious. Worse yet, we not only forget to honor these individuals, we often dishonor them with a lesser-than-us attitude.

O’Donnell lived a few tough days in his employees’ shoes. Before his experiences with the show, he focused entirely on efficiency — enacting policies to cut costs, increase revenue and quality control. He was detached from the employees he is obligated to serve. After his experience, O’Donnell could no longer consider actions by numbers and costs only, but by people.

People aren’t just numbers. Everyone has a story. As we Trojans move out into the real world, let’s never forget that. The truest of leaders are leaders who honor both those who work hard in high-paid positions and those whom society overlooks in low-paid positions. If we walk in the shoes of people like Long, we will not forget them. Next time you see someone doing a necessary task, ask him how he is doing or how his day is going, and thank him for what he does. Let’s take advantage of those opportunities to know their story.

Jensen Carlsen is a senior majoring in mathematics and economics.  His column “The Bridge” runs Wednesdays.