5 Tricks for Getting Frontline Manager Buy-In

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Frontline managers are the most important people in your organization. They typically make up half of a company’s management team and supervise as much as 80 percent of the workforce. They influence every part of the employee experience, including hiring, training, scheduling, recognition, and development. This also makes them the most important people in L&D.

Frontline managers are the most important people in your organization. They typically make up half of a company’s management team and supervise as much as 80 percent of the workforce. They influence every part of the employee experience, including hiring, training, scheduling, recognition, and development. This also makes them the most important people in L&D.

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Strategies may be developed in conference rooms, but they come to life on the frontline. Managers often work 60+ hours weekly, focused on hitting numbers and keeping operations running. Anything that doesn’t support these goals becomes a distraction. That includes L&D. To get our programs to the top of their priority list, we must rethink how we engage with frontline managers.

Strategies may be developed in conference rooms, but they come to life on the frontline. Managers often work 60+ hours weekly, focused on hitting numbers and keeping operations running. Anything that doesn’t support these goals becomes a distraction. That includes L&D. To get our programs to the top of their priority list, we must rethink how we engage with frontline managers.

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Here are five tactics for boosting frontline manager buy-in.

Here are five tactics for boosting frontline manager buy-in.

1. Avoid Disruption

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When L&D understands how frontline work happens—how time is spent, which devices are used, and what common challenges teams face—we can properly align our solutions. There will be times when people must be pulled out of the operation for training, but this must be the exception. For example, in a contact center where agents must remain on the phone, L&D must fit our solutions within the brief moments between calls to avoid being seen as a disruption.

When L&D understands how frontline work happens—how time is spent, which devices are used, and what common challenges teams face—we can properly align our solutions. There will be times when people must be pulled out of the operation for training, but this must be the exception. For example, in a contact center where agents must remain on the phone, L&D must fit our solutions within the brief moments between calls to avoid being seen as a disruption.

2. Don’t Talk About Learning

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Frontline managers don’t care about “learning.” They want knowledgeable, capable, confident teams. But unlike L&D pros, they don’t spend time thinking about learning methodology. They want outcomes, not theory.

Frontline managers don’t care about “learning.” They want knowledgeable, capable, confident teams. But unlike L&D pros, they don’t spend time thinking about learning methodology. They want outcomes, not theory.

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Position yourself as a problem solver rather than a “learning person.” If you’re working with grocery management, speak the language of their business (productivity, shrink, basket size, safety) rather than using L&D terminology (microlearning, attendance, skills). When presenting a learning-focused solution, focus on familiar concepts, such as training, practice, and coaching.

Position yourself as a problem solver rather than a “learning person.” If you’re working with grocery management, speak the language of their business (productivity, shrink, basket size, safety) rather than using L&D terminology (microlearning, attendance, skills). When presenting a learning-focused solution, focus on familiar concepts, such as training, practice, and coaching.

3. Leverage Peers

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L&D and frontline managers are on the same team, but we’re not the same. We both want the frontline workforce to do a great job so the business succeeds. However, we have different metrics and success criteria.

L&D and frontline managers are on the same team, but we’re not the same. We both want the frontline workforce to do a great job so the business succeeds. However, we have different metrics and success criteria.

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Leverage peer voices to champion frontline L&D programs. A hotel front desk manager is more likely to trust a colleague’s recommendations than messaging from a support team that doesn’t understand their day-to-day reality. When peers can point to tangible impact from L&D initiatives, it bridges the gap between theory and practice and makes our case far more compelling.

Leverage peer voices to champion frontline L&D programs. A hotel front desk manager is more likely to trust a colleague’s recommendations than messaging from a support team that doesn’t understand their day-to-day reality. When peers can point to tangible impact from L&D initiatives, it bridges the gap between theory and practice and makes our case far more compelling.

4. Involve Managers

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It can be difficult for L&D pros to adopt a manager’s perspective. Even if you’ve done the job, it’s hard to determine what will resonate with the frontline today, especially across a large, diverse workforce.

It can be difficult for L&D pros to adopt a manager’s perspective. Even if you’ve done the job, it’s hard to determine what will resonate with the frontline today, especially across a large, diverse workforce.

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Include frontline managers in the solutioning process early and often. Facilitate regular conversations to ground your L&D perspective in frontline reality. If you’re building a training program for a distribution center, invite DC managers to sit in on every phase of the process. Clarify how your solution will fit within the workflow and help managers achieve their goals.

Include frontline managers in the solutioning process early and often. Facilitate regular conversations to ground your L&D perspective in frontline reality. If you’re building a training program for a distribution center, invite DC managers to sit in on every phase of the process. Clarify how your solution will fit within the workflow and help managers achieve their goals.

5. Be Direct

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Frontline managers are overwhelmed with late deliveries, upset customers, scheduling snafus, and corporate visits. They can’t prioritize L&D unless you make it easy.

Frontline managers are overwhelmed with late deliveries, upset customers, scheduling snafus, and corporate visits. They can’t prioritize L&D unless you make it easy.

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Provide clear directions on exactly what you need. If you want managers to support onboarding, tell them specifically when to meet with new hires, what to cover, and how to document it. Nudge managers with specific requests rather than asking them to dig through guides and reports to figure out how to support L&D initiatives.

Provide clear directions on exactly what you need. If you want managers to support onboarding, tell them specifically when to meet with new hires, what to cover, and how to document it. Nudge managers with specific requests rather than asking them to dig through guides and reports to figure out how to support L&D initiatives.

Fostering Partnership

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Frontline managers are the linchpins of organizational success. By designing solutions that align with operational realities, leveraging peer influencers, and making it easy for managers to take action, we can shift L&D from an annoying distraction to a valued partner. We must meet managers where they are and adjust our L&D tactics if we hope to make L&D a frontline priority.

Frontline managers are the linchpins of organizational success. By designing solutions that align with operational realities, leveraging peer influencers, and making it easy for managers to take action, we can shift L&D from an annoying distraction to a valued partner. We must meet managers where they are and adjust our L&D tactics if we hope to make L&D a frontline priority.