My daughter Lee lives in El Paso, Texas. In October, she and her three children (ages 3½ years, 2 years and 2 months) came home for a ten-day visit. And though I thought that I was prepared (Pack-n-Play, high-chair, booster seat, bassinette, house "child-proofed," gates up, car seats installed), I was really very unprepared!

Not only did Lee see the little things that I had forgotten (like my razor near the bathtub!) but I was totally unprepared for the juggling of three schedules and nap times, cries of a hungry infant, fights over who was playing with what, Barney in the background, being woken up at 6 a.m. with a plea to come play and that unmistakable aroma of someone who needs to have their diaper changed — all happening at the same time! I don't mind telling you, when Lee and family left, Don and I were exhausted.

After she left, I started to think that even though we talk almost every day on the phone, I really had no idea how hectic her life is right now. All of my "motherly advice" (which I am so eager to dispense) doesn't help when an infant is crying and two little ones are demanding attention. And even though I was in the same situation 30 years ago, I had totally forgotten what it was really like!

The Disconnect Dilemma

I see the same situation in many companies. Many times, managers and CEOs are as disconnected from the reality of their employees' quotidian existence as I was with Lee's. I think they may, for the most part, have forgotten the reality of the jobs that they supervise.

Some sales managers dispense their expertise weekly to their remote sales force and have forgotten what it's like to be in the field or pick up the phone to make a cold call. I've met CEOs who haven't been on a customer call in years. And I have met Marketing VPs who haven't had the pressure of a press release or an analyst meeting in a long, long time.

Remember, the further away you get from knowing the reality of the job, the easier it is to make bad assumptions about what is or isn't being done. I would not have been as surprised about Lee's daily challenges if I lived closer and saw her more often. Two visits a year doesn't give me the full appreciation of her situation.

Walk a Mile In Their Shoes

If you want to find out what daily life is like in your organization (and I truly hope you do!) and you want to get closer to those people who are trying to grow your business, embrace the "Walk a mile" philosophy.

Remember — there is nothing as critical to having a long-lasting, successful relationship with your employees as their knowing that you understand what it is they do.

Here are few ways to do that…

Years ago at the MIT Enterprise Forum, I heard the CEO of a $150M software company boast (and I mean this in a positive way) that he spent one entire day a month in the field with a sales rep. He talked about the value of spending the whole day as opposed to visiting one customer or one prospect.

Another CEO I know routinely helps out in the shipping department. He deliberately chooses the busiest seasons to do this and oftentimes is the one sweeping up after all of the shipments have gone out.

You get the picture. Get out there and do another job — on a regular basis.

I changed a lot of poopy diapers a few weeks ago — and even had my new suede shoes wrecked by flying oatmeal. I did lots of stuff I never dreamt I'd do again. But, it was invigorating and even got to be fun.

If you secretly think you're "above" some of the more mundane things in your company, that's probably even more reason for you to get down in the dirt. It not only will give you a new appreciation for your employees and what they're doing, it will also tell you something about yourself! And, your employees will love you for it.

Don and I are going to El Paso for Christmas, and you can be sure that I'll be much better prepared for the general chaos and pandemonium that will ensue. You can also be sure that I have already booked us into a quiet and contemplative New Year's venue so we can recover from our visit!

Are you thinking of adding to your team but wondering if you have the right steps in place to do that?

Do you need help defining what it is to be done and what type of employee you need to do it?

Do you need help evaluating some candidates you've already identified?

Are you wondering if your team is asking the right questions during an interview?

Do you know if your offer is competitive and will be accepted?

And, have you ever thought it would be nice to have someone guide you through the whole hiring process from beginning to end?

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Click here to send me an email and I'll shoot you the details!