Nigel Abraham implemented the “boss for a day” idea when he worked with his mother, Patricia Corbin, at the family’s West Hempstead, New York florist, Flowers Wedding Boutique.
Struggling to find ways to keep employees invested and engaged with their jobs and the overall success of the business? It is a struggle Nigel Abraham was also dealing with when he worked at his mother’s West Hempstead, New York business, Flowers Wedding Boutique. But then he came up with an idea that changed the way the team saw their role in the business.
The Win
Abraham’s idea was to make a different employee the boss for a day. Every Wednesday, a different employee was appointed “boss.” They’re effectively in charge, taking on the responsibilities of a management role.
With the role reversal, staff members gain insight into the complexity of running the business, Abraham says, that lasts far beyond a day. Likewise, Abraham regularly received feedback from staff members, who had the opportunity at the end of the day to provide suggestions about what works and what doesn’t. “That’s helping the business to grow and be strong,” he says. “It created a great community for us.”
The Game Plan
Abraham selected one of his staff members to be boss for the day on Wednesday, typically one of the business’s slower days.
Abraham had a special key made labeled “BOSS,” and he made a little ceremony out of handing the key over each Wednesday. With the key in hand, the staff member “has to now run the organization and tell everybody what to do,” he says.
At the end of the day, Abraham and the staff member had a meeting to discuss how the day went. “They reported back to me — in my seat, sitting in the boss’s chair — about what the day was like, how they succeeded, where they failed,” he says. This exercise encourages collaboration, and it provided an opportunity for Abraham and the staff member to learn from one another.
The Takeaway
Abraham noticed a positive shift in the atmosphere at the shop. Staff members felt more valued and more invested in the business’s operations. Even after their run as boss was complete, employees performed more efficiently and took on responsibility more readily, Abraham says. It also kept him open to feedback, and it helped staff members see that he valued their opinions. “My slogan is ‘Go reflect who you are,’ and this really shows the reflection of who we as a team,” says Abraham.
Laura Drummond is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
