Frontline Innovators

Frontline Innovators

By frontlineinnovatorsTechnology
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Frontline Innovators episodes

  • The Swinging Pendulum- Frontline Innovators - Episode # 16

    Jimmy Alyea, Senior Planner and Change Management Specialist at Oxiteno, is a demonstrated leader in both supply chain management and marketing. After working for an oil company where he saw that there were ways to speed up general processes and make them more efficient, he decided to get into change management.

    On this episode of Frontline Innovators, Jimmy and Justin discuss how the deskless worker can be better prepared for the changes in technology that they face. 

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • Communication is the biggest challenge facing the deskless worker. Ever since the iPhone came out and we entered the digital age officially, we started migrating from old fashion in person meetings to phone calls, to text messages, video chatting.
  • There are two ways to do any job; the easy way or the hard way. Jimmy got into change management as a way to get a job done in an easier way. 
  • The frontline workers need to be more empowered. They are the ones who are using the technology on a daily basis, they deserve to have their voices heard on any changes.
  • The men and women on the frontline represent 80% of the global workforce. 
  • There are 5 outcomes for change to be successful: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement (ADKAR Method)
  • The change management process is a team process. You either move forward as a team or you move backward as a team.




    • Quote of the show:

     

    19:39  “Frontline workers are talking to upper management and saying, Hey, we should be doing it this way. And It's interesting to see how they sell their ideas to upper management, which tends to be more effective because they're not forcing it on them.

     

    They're telling them, Hey, we want to be more efficient. This is a better idea. As, I guess you could say as a generation X-er, I'm having to learn. Okay. That is a good idea. How do I do it? And I'm having to go to them to get taught how to work their ideas with their technology. And they have a lot of great ideas.

     

    And if you don't empower them and listen to them and give them that microphone to speak up, then you're going to see companies fail. And the upper managers, the older, more experienced workforce is going to get pushed out.”



    Links

     

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlalyea/
  • Company Website: https://oxiteno.com/us/en/
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmymba
  • Personal website: http://jimmyalyea.blogspot.com/



    • Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - https://youtu.be/ApLb3wFTJ5g



    • 59 min
  • Breaking In New Work Technology - Frontline Innovators - Episode #015

    Jessica Sirico, Senior Training and Change Management Specialist at Suez, is here to help the deskless worker navigate an ever changing world. On this episode of Frontline Innovators, Justin and Jessica discuss how they can better prepare those on the frontline for rapid changes. 

     

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • The amount of changes happening at one time is the biggest challenge facing deskless workers today. 
  • It’s more critical now than ever for companies to have change management so employees can thoroughly understand how the changes coming up will impact them. 
  • It’s important for the frontline workers to feel connected to the people who work in corporate. Going out to the field and seeing what a day in their life looks like can strengthen those relationships.
  • In IT, the impact of new technology implementation often neglects the human side and how the change can make people feel. 
  • Change management is really a collective effort. It’s not just the managers themselves that are leading it, but middle managers and frontline employees all need to be a part of it.
  • When you are training frontline workers on new technology, the goal is to make the training as simple as possible and work your way up to the complicated steps. 
  • Jessica’s favorite part of change management is when she can see the employees she has trained are comfortable and prepared for the changes they will soon face. 



    • Quote of the show

    50:15  “I always say that learning a new technology for work is like breaking in a new pair of workboots. You are very comfortable in your current pair but maybe they are falling apart, maybe they aren’t safe anymore, so you have to change, you have to get a new pair.

    It might take a week to break them, you might get some blisters, you might not feel comfortable but it’s going to get better. That’s the message I always have to portray. 

    It’s going to be rocky the first couple of days and that’s expected, no one expects you to come out of the gate perfect but you will get past all those bumps and all those hiccups and we are here to support you as well.”



    Links

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-sirico-pmp-shrm-cp-658ba633/
  • Company Website: https://www.suez-na.com/en-us

    •  


    Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - https://youtu.be/xUZfBAiYEVk

    •  

     

    56 min
  • Mending the Learning Gap - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 14

    Andrea Johnson, Senior Manager of Change Management at Sprouts, is passionate about continuous learning and empowering change. She improves customer and employee experiences through human-centered design and technology enablement. 

    On this episode of Frontline Innovators, Andrea and Justin discuss how change management professionals can help deskless workers understand new changes and how it benefits them. 

     

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • The speed of change is one of the biggest challenges facing deskless workers today. It’s a lot easier to digest change if you understand why it’s happening, but the message doesn’t always get down to frontline employees.
  • Andrea started her career in digital product marketing with huge teams that developed products for customers, but the systems they used didn’t line up with what they needed
  • You can invest millions of dollars into a system but at the end of the day if people aren’t using it then the residual income is zero. People still need to use the system to make it worthwhile.
  • You need all hands on deck and everyone needs to have bought in so that they can tell you what can work and what might not work. 
  • If leadership hasn’t bought in, that rolls down hill and eventually the end-user won’t buy-in.
  • The fact that technology is always changing is something that is exciting to Andrea. It makes each day different. 
  • There are many different learning styles in any given workplace that each span different generations, learning to teach to each one is beneficial.



    • Quote of the show:

    18:53 “You have 5 generations in the workforce. There’s not a one size fits all OCM plan, rinse and repeat. You have to, one, account for all the generations and learning styles, how readily they are to embrace technology and respond in different ways. 

    Some people want to get help in different ways. Some people don’t want to sit in an instructor-led training, they’d rather just have some bite-sized video online. It’s really understanding the audiences and their pain points with the current state and figuring out how to make that case for them that it might be a little painful at first, nothing is going to be without its hiccups but at the end of the day when we get through this. 

    We’re going to make your job easier, be more productive, whatever those benefits and they have to believe it.” 

     

     

    Links

     

    • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaannjohnson/
  • Company Website: https://www.sprouts.com
  • Personal website: https://www.andreaannjohnson.com



    • Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - https://youtu.be/SmbM_SvU6pw
    • 46 min
  • Change: Inevitable, Not Easy - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 13

    Blanca Nieto, Change Management Specialist, joins host Justin Lake on this episode of Frontline Innovators Change Management Leadership series. They discuss keeping up with the rapid pace of technology and how to facilitate these changes for employees with different levels of understanding and comfort.

     

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • We grow in community, we don’t grow in isolation.
  • Change is inevitable, but it’s not easy.
  • Don’t make assumptions. For you, one thing might be easy. For me, it might be hard. 
  • Use QR technology as a resource.
  • Don’t wait for customers to tell you what they need. Understand the future for them.
  • There will always be diversity in the level of adoption and comfort with technology.

    •  

    Links

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blancagnieto/



    Ways to Tune In:

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/FhRxVxOmgu8

    •  

    57 min
  • Making Change Work - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 12

    On this episode of Frontline Innovators Brett Broadrick, Senior Organizational Change Consultant at Cerner Corporation joins host Justin Lake to talk change management!

     

    Change causes a lot of anxiety and frustration. But--just like gravity--we can’t fight it. We can leverage it, and we can know how to work with it, but we know that technology is ultimately going to change frontline workers’ experiences. Instead of glossing over this reality, what can we do with this reality? What can we do for the frontline worker? Change management doesn’t erase the transition a company goes through when implementing change, but it can shorten it and shallow the curve.  

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • The biggest challenge facing the deskless workforce: sacrificing quality for efficiency
  • How a company can be a “change architect” 
  • Why you must not leave your frontline workers out of the planning process
  • Change management and the William Bridges transition model
  • What is ADKAR and where does training fall in this process
  • Pathways to recovery are numerous, but they all boil down to the same change management methodology in the way that our brains work

    •  

    Links

     

    • LinkedIn: brett broadrick 1
  • Company Website: https://www.cerner.com
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cerner-corporation/
  • IBM Study - making-change-work
  • Bridges Transition Model: https://wmbridges.com/about/what-is-transition/

    •  

    Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/LAOcY2q88v8
    • 52 min
  • Innovating for Successful Change - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 11

    Scott Kameron, President & COO of EVS, LLC, joins host Eugene Signorini to discuss how impactful having a change management system is when implementing new digital technology. Focusing on the people behind the process is crucial to the success of digital adoption.

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • “People are struggling with software that was built to accommodate business processes but wasn't built to accommodate people.”- Scott
  • It's critical to comprehend the entire procedure and truly comprehend the ultimate objective and how you may accommodate that without having to add a macro level just by developing software and functionality to deal with each checkbox.
  • When it comes to bringing anything new, from a technology and process standpoint, a lot of the things holding firms back are just the complexity and the general organizational nervousness.
  • Organizational change management is a fantastic tool, and there is no substitute for being able to comprehend how technology will interact with people and process great technology, amazing user experience, screens, and hardware to solve organizational challenges.
  • “One of the things that we've seen in overcoming some of these challenges is the gamification metrics.” - Scott



    • Links

     

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkameron/
  • Company Website: https://www.evssw.com/
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evs-llc/



    • Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/77Qdzsy2edQ
    • 45 min
  • Creating Successful Teams - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 10

    Chris Grubbs, Program Manager at Southwest Airlines, joins host Justin Lake to discuss how to bridge the gap between frontline workers and management. He also discusses how Southwest Airlines have adapted to technological changes and have created successful teams

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • Engage frontline leaders by getting them to share feedback to bring to management which will in turn lower their frustration and stress levels.
  • Keep frontline workers involved by having mechanics and inspectors participate in pilot testing gathering their feedback electronically.
  • It's beneficial to have frontline employees become evangelists so that when returning to their team they feel that their feelings have been heard by the management.
  • “There's always multiple opportunities to enhance customer service to provide more capabilities to our operational team on the ground as they service those customers.” - Chris



    • Links

     

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgrubbs/
  • Company Website: https://www.southwest.com/
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southwest-airlines/



    • Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/xEoFM0Cqn3g
    • 1 hr 4 min
  • Sea of Change - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 9

    Sarah Nicastro, Vice President of Customer Advocacy at IFS, joins host Eugene Signorini to share her insight on technological advances that can affect company operations and business practices.

     

    Takeaways 

     

    • The pace of change, whether in corporate strategy or technology, is one of the greatest challenges. 
  • “Change is not always easy, it can be very challenging even if it is a good change.” - Sarah
  • Technology and client expectations are mutually reinforcing. Technology evolves, shifting and changing the customer expectations. As a result, those expectations become more demanding, and the cycle continues.
  • Companies can set themselves up for success if they regard change management as a necessity and approach it in a different way.
  • “A little bit of reassurance in the form of articulating to those frontline workers, how they fit into this new world, and this new vision can make a world of difference.” - Sarah
  • The failure of a company to recognize how knowledgeable their frontline employees are, causes a sense of dissatisfaction, which is not conducive to change initiative.



    • Links

     

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhowland/
  • Company Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ifs/
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.futureoffieldservice.com/



    • Ways to Tune In:

     

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/t3jfCm7sXOI
    • 52 min
  • Solving Disconnects - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 8

    Shari Christofferson, President at Mobile Systems Intelligence by Connect Inc, shares her unique expertise as well as solutions to typical problems seen facing deskless workers.

     

    Christofferson with host Eugene Signorini, discuss new technology and the disconnects between corporate workers and today's frontline workforce and how it can influence workflow.

     

    Takeaways 

    • Both decision-makers and front-line workers are trying to improve mobile adoption and digital transformation as it occurs in the field.
  • There is a disconnect, certain gaps that prevent the front-line workers from having a voice and expressing themselves and this is a bit of a mismatch for both ends.
  • “There's a space there where the users have something they're trying to use and when it's breaking down, it is referred to as a disconnect.” - Shari
  • Frontline workers are often hesitant to embrace technology due to frustration, nervousness, or a lack of understanding of how to use it.
  • Understanding what frontline staff are going through and being able to provide support so they can fulfil their obligations and jobs more efficiently is critical.
  • “There are so many far reaching implications of this disconnect between what the users are experiencing with the technology and what the intention is.” - shari
  • The challenge is to develop a feedback loop between the user, the support team, and the IT team that needs to assist them.



    • Links

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shari-christofferson-9a85979/
  • Company Website: https://mobilesystemsintelligence.com/
  • Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connect-incorporated-connect-rf/

    •  

    Ways to Tune In:

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/6v3NVYS8Ufo
    • 50 min
  • Putting it Together - Frontline Innovators - Episode # 7

    John Wirthlin, Industry Principal of Manufacturing, Transportation & Logistics at Zebra Technology, shares with host Eugene Signorini that how to empower the frontline workforce is about getting them the most information where they are, in the field. These frontline workers rely on their mobile devices for the most up to date, real time information as possible. 

     

    Takeaways 

    • Providing as much real time information as you can from a mobile device into that workers hands is key
  • There is a need to marry silo data sources such as an order management system, transportation management system & other factors into one system for ease of access
  • Increase in demand, but decrease in labor post-COVID
  • Use new technology (such as augmented reality) to train new employees quickly especially in warehouses, which simplifies and cuts down on nonproductive hours
  • “Solution first - and the right hardware is there that will fit into the right solution,” John Wirthlin
  • People make projects successful, not technology; involving the frontline workers in the process of creating new technology will help increase adaptation and pride 
  • Automation can take on less productive work to make room for workers to leverage their time in more productive ways 



    • Links

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncwirthlin/
  • Company Website: https://www.zebra.com/us/en.html
  • Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/zebratechnology 



    • Ways to Tune In:

    • Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f4ecd92-6468-4769-b0bf-254e236510b7/FRONTLINE-INNOVATORS 
  • Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frontline-innovators/id1572329402
  • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/29m3wnK8pbFjdSvJ9wjmyS
  • Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/frontline-innovators
  • Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJvbnRsaW5laW5ub3ZhdG9ycy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw
  • YouTube - Full video -https://youtu.be/bBIS5yuxd0A
    • 45 min

About Frontline Innovators

From the publisher's feed

This is Frontline Innovators. Host Justin Lake speaks with experts who are leading the way and driving digital transformation to the frontlines. We explore how to overcome challenges and achieve success when we empower our essential workers.