It happens more than you’d think. A big initiative that has been in research and planning for months hits a major snag when it comes time to roll it out. The purpose and process were sound, but without the support from the frontline teams, the big initiative comes grinding to a halt.
While many executives understand that their most valuable assets are their people, few successfully engage their people in a way that helps get big projects over the line. The frontline team is closest to the process, so they understand the problems and can often pinpoint solutions. When equipped properly, they can be a major asset in the rollout of a strategy, message, or key initiative.
A person who feels ownership in the process is more likely to buy into the change, helping to build ownership, support, and adoption amongst their teams. Leaders naturally emerge when people are offered responsibility and the opportunity to engage in a major initiative. By being asked to be leaders in the change – instead of being told to do so – individuals will step up to meet the challenges.
Ultimately, the frontline staff is responsible for getting the actual work done. Being close to the day-to-day activity means that they have a much higher rate of ownership and engagement in the process. Their work brings them closer to the everyday wins and means that they are quickly attuned to sentiment within their teams. It is crucial for managers and executive teams find ways to listen to feedback, spot wins, and reward success.
Engaging the frontline in an initiative has major benefits to the organization. But, before throwing your frontline staff onto the front line of your big initiative, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Set the right tone and create a message that resonates at all levels of your organization. Individuals have to see how the change will benefit them, their team, and the organization. Your message should reflect your goals, but it must also include a vision for how the initiative will impact each person in your organization.
- Go in with a plan, but plan to adjust. Be prepared to adjust your initial plans once the frontline team has been briefed on the initiative. You want to welcome their ideas and encourage them to identify possible roadblocks. Since most people won’t be comfortable providing this feedback in a group setting, your directors should plan to have smaller break-out working sessions with individuals. Guided templates can provide the structure needed to help facilitate discussions and capture ideas.
- Set challenging, yet achievable goals. Individual contributors may not be able connect their day-to-day work with the overarching goal for your initiative. But, given direction and structure, they can help define milestones that are needed to move the needle in the positive direction. Tracking progress towards those goals – and recognizing achievements along they way – will go far in keeping people engaged.
- Support the team. Checking in regularly with the frontline will help you keep a pulse on how the rollout is going. Individuals want to know that they are making progress, that their achievements are impacting the larger goal, and that they have a clear line of feedback through the organization. When you check-in on progress, take the time to gather sentiment from the frontline. What’s working? What could work better? What is standing in the way? Be sure to follow up on these concerns with teams. Not only does your frontline need to know you are listening, they need to see that you have taken action.
Utilizing the frontline in a major initiative is a departure from the way many organizations operate. Doing so requires executive teams to think differently about their workforce. When executed with the proper design, planning, and support, you will be happy you tapped this existing resource.