Although obvious, it needs to be repeated: frontline leaders are representatives of an entire organization. They strongly affect whether employees are motivated, dedicated or inefficient.
Since frontline leaders have such an influence over an organization, proper training, motivation and investment in their growth is crucial for personal success and ultimately the company’s success.
According to Carol Leaman’s Empowering Frontline Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Experience article in Forbes, “a disengaged workforce providing inconsistent levels of service, and an unreliable brand experience could cost organizations their business or reputation.”
Training programs are one element required to avoid these pitfalls. A tune-up of skills will give leaders the confidence to take initiative and steer their team in the right direction. Consistent coaching keeps frontline leaders in the loop of an organization’s objectives and gives them the ability to adequately communicate those objectives to their teams. Communication in turn builds an inclusive environment and strong relationships among peers.
Leaman further explains that “if frontline [leaders] — who arguably have the greatest impact on customer experience — don’t have the ongoing training needed to effectively do their jobs, they might disengage which can lead to decreased productivity and work quality resulting in customer satisfaction issues.”
Thus, proper training will also encourage and show employees how to achieve an organization’s ultimate goal whether it is profitability, improved products and services, or getting a jump start on the competition.
On top of training, ongoing support, refresher courses and recognition of hard work all fuel a more productive and engaged workforce. Your front line drives your bottom line, invest in your font line leaders to change behaviours and improve results.
With new skills and appreciation comes the potential to reignite frontline leaders with a sense of loyalty, pride and motivation to rally together and take an organization to a new level of growth.
References:
Carol Leaman: Empowering Frontline Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Experience. Forbes. August 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/
