Frontline Unscripted

Welcome to Frontline Questions, a bi-weekly segment in which JD answers the most popular questions we receive from The 80 Percent listeners.

Today's question is ...

How do I justify added investment in frontline training?

Download The Ultimate Guide to Frontline Training for more tips on how you can provide right-fit support to your frontline teams.

Send your frontline question to [email protected] so JD can answer it on a future episode.

Join the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to access free training content, download the new 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report and subscribe for updates.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. 

For over 60 years, Disney has set the standard for workplace safety, customer service and operational efficiency in hospitality and entertainment. But how does a dynamic company with hundreds of thousands of frontline employees manage to execute so consistently for so long? Is it magic? Or is it something much more practical that you can apply within your business? 

JD explores the connection between leadership and frontline performance with Dan Cockerell. Dan is a 26-year veteran of the Walt Disney Company. During his storied career, Dan worked in a variety of roles, from opening the parking lot for Disneyland Paris to overseeing operations at the busiest theme park in the world, The Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Today, Dan provides customized, authentic presentations and insightful workshops focusing on leadership and management practices, drawing upon his extensive Disney career with relevant examples and inspiring storytelling.

Check out Dan’s new book How’s the Culture in Your Kingdom? Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey. You can also watch his featured session from AxoniCom LIVE on-demand.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected]

Join the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to access free training content, download the new 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report and subscribe for the updates.

Welcome to Frontline Questions, a bi-weekly segment in which JD answers the most popular questions we receive from The 80 Percent listeners.

Today's question is ...

Is frontline training really that much different from corporate training?

Send your frontline question to [email protected] so we can answer it on a future episode.

Download The Ultimate Guide to Frontline Training for more tips on how you can provide right-fit support to your frontline teams.

Join the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to access free training content, download the new 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report and subscribe for updates.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. 

Does technology dictate the future of work? Or can we get smarter about how we leverage technology to create a better workplace (and world) for ourselves and the people around us?

JD sits down with Heather McGowan, internationally-recognized speaker, author and future of work strategist, to explore the importance of taking a people-first approach to workplace evolution and why it's essential for businesses to put the frontline first.

Grab Heather’s new book The Adaptation Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast and Thrive in the Future of Work and check out her featured AxoniCom LIVE session on-demand.

• Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI by Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson (Accenture)
• Microsoft’s Post-Pandemic Plan and Software’s Role in Recovery (Forbes)
• Automation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
• How the Jetsons Predicted the Future (AJ+)
• What will future jobs look like? | Andrew McAfee (TED)
• Future Predictions: Arthur C. Clarke Predicting the future in 1964 (WAW TV - REX 1)

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected]

Join the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to access free training content, download the new 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report and subscribe for updates.

Audio from Back to the Future, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is used in adherence with fair use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Welcome to Season 2 of The 80 Percent! 

JD provides an update on what’s been happening since Season 1 wrapped along with a preview of upcoming episodes scheduled to drop in the coming months, including:

• The Future of Work with Heather McGowan
• Frontline Leadership at Disney with Dan Cockerell
• A Culture of Frontline Empowerment at Southwest with Ginger Hardage
• The Zappos Approach to Customer Support with Rob Siefker

Download the new (and ungated) 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report.

Join the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to download free training content and subscribe for the latest updates.

AxoniCom LIVE - the only digital event focused on the frontline - is now available on-demand for free! Dive into 30+ hours of content from 60 speakers. Hear real-world stories from Verizon, UPS, Disney, Southwest, Zappos, Kroger and more along with a special introduction from Axonify CEO Carol Leaman and keynote from Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse. 

What makes a workplace a great place? Is it the benefits? Is it the managers? Is it work itself? Or is it an algorithmic combination of all of these factors and more? Companies claim to have amazing cultures and that employees are their “greatest assets.” But are they doing what it takes to create a great place for all, including the frontline? 

JD sits down with Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, to explore what it really means to be a great place for all. Michael shares data-driven insights into trust, leadership and training and the critical role these factors play in both workplace culture and financial success. He addresses the “two viruses” we are currently facing - COVID-19 and racism - and the role companies must play to promote human and social good. Michael also borrows a line from JD and shows how the best places to work think people first, employees second.

This episode shows you what it will take to get your company on a future Great Place to Work list. 

Hear more from Michael C. Bush as a featured speaker at AxoniCom LIVE - the only conference focused on the needs of the frontline. This one-of-a-kind digital experience takes place on September 28th and 29th and features insights from professionals who have led frontline-forward organizations like Disney, Southwest Airlines, Foot Locker and Kroger. These two days are guaranteed to help you prepare your frontline for whatever comes next. Grab free tickets for your entire team at axonicom.com.

Read Michael’s latest posts on the Great Place to Work Blog addressing systemic racism and social injustice.

• Racism Is a 400-Year-Old Virus
• All Lives Don’t Matter

Check out the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2020 List, which includes a variety of frontline-forward organizations.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected].

“The greatest era of innovation is coming.” This statement may sound out of place or downright tone deaf given how difficult it has been for businesses to just keep their doors open over the past six months. However, think about the ways you have adapted the way you live and work during the pandemic. Consider how much more quickly organizations have adopted digital tools and ecommerce options than they have in the past. The pandemic has disrupted our lives, but it has also set the stage for an unprecedented level of innovation … but only for companies who recognize this potential.

JD sits down with Shawn Kanungo to explore the impact of disruption and how this can be reframed as the fuel for positive business change. We talked about the ways the pandemic has impacted both organizations and individuals. We highlight the importance of learning from disruption to find new ways to move forward. And we discover the greatest source of potential innovation in any business: the frontline. 

Shawn is a globally recognized disruption strategist who works at the intersection of creativity, business, and technology. He spent 12 years at Deloitte helping corporate executives better understand and plan for the opportunities and threats associated with disruptive innovation. Now, as a partner of Queen & Rook Capital, Shawn helps organizations adopt exponential technologies and adapt to the digital age. He has worked hand-to-hand with hundreds of organizations on their journey to digital transformation.

Hear more from Shawn at AxoniCom LIVE - the only conference focused on the needs of the frontline. This one-of-a-kind digital experience takes place on September 28th and 29th and features insights from professionals who have led frontline-forward organizations like Disney, Lowe’s, Foot Locker and Kroger. These two days are guaranteed to help you prepare your frontline for whatever comes next. Grab free tickets for your entire team at axonicom.com.

• From Horses to Cars | The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation (The Henry Ford)
• How Netflix Changed TV (Newsweek)
• Virus Outbreak Continues to Disrupt Global Supply Chains: Kearny’s Hong (Bloomberg Markets and Finance)

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected]

Audio from The Social Network is used in adherence with fair use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

We launched The 80 Percent in April with a visit to the grocery store to find out how essential workers were coping during the beginning of the pandemic. Now, four months later, we're returning to the grocery story to find out how businesses and employees have adapted to their next normal.

JD is joined by long-time grocery professionals Harold Lloyd and Evan Parkes. We explore the importance of communication and cross-training to enable operational agility. We highlight the talent retention challenge the industry is now facing. And we discuss how the face mask controversy is impacting the frontline.

Find more grocery insights and educational opportunities from Harold Lloyd at hlloydpresents.com.

Read JD's July column in Learning Solutions Magazine for a real-life example of how cross-training can impact someone's career long-term.

• Watch the full NBC San Diego report Grocery Store Workers Get Short End of Stick in Fight Against Coronavirus from July 18, 2020.
• Watch the full CBS New York report Coronavirus Update: Grocery Store Employees Worry About Safety, Health from March 31, 2020.
• Watch the full CBS Pittsburg report Customers React After Grocery Store Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus from July 7, 2020.
• Watch the full WPXI-TV News Pittsburgh report Empty Shelves? Aluminum can shortage due to COVID-19 pandemic impacting local beer distributors from July 21, 2020.

Remember to grab your free tickets for AxoniCom LIVE - the only conference focused on the needs of the frontline. This one-of-a-kind digital experience takes place on September 28th and 29th. These two days are guaranteed to help you prepare your frontline for whatever comes next.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can build training for your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected]

“Resilience” is the official buzzword of 2020 - just outpacing “unprecedented.” We’re all doing our best to keep moving forward as we face an uncertain future. What can organizations do to build resilience within their frontline teams? How can we help people develop the skills, purpose and connections they need to overcome current and future challenges?

JD spoke with Dane Jensen, CEO of Third Factor, to explore the connection between pressure, performance and resilience. Dane outlines practical ideas you can use to create the conditions needed to build resilient employees, teams and organizations. 

Look out for Dane’s new book The Power of Pressure: Why we break down and what we can learn from those who break through coming in March 2021.

Check out Jim Collin’s book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t on Amazon. Watch his full Drucker Day keynote speech on YouTube.

Remember to grab your free tickets for AxoniCom LIVE - the only conference focused on the needs of the frontline. This one-of-a-kind digital experience takes place on September 28th and 29th. These two days are guaranteed to help you prepare your frontline for whatever comes next.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can build training for your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected]

Audio clips from Rocky 2 and Rocky Balboa are used in adherence with fair use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Reskilling. Is it more than just a buzzword? How do organizations have to change so they can reskill their employees faster? And how can a renewed focus on frontline reskilling help companies overcome unprecedented disruption? JD sat down with David Perring, Director of Research at Fosway Group, for an informal chat on the realities of reskilling in today’s workplace. 

Thank you to David for sharing his insights for this episode. Learn more about his team’s work, including their latest research into the HR impact of COVID-19, at fosway.com.

Watch the full video of JD and David’s conversation on the Axonify YouTube Channel. 

Remember to grab your free tickets for AxoniCom LIVE - the only conference focused on the needs of the frontline. This one-of-a-kind digital experience takes place on September 28th and 29th. These two days are guaranteed to help you prepare your frontline for whatever comes next.

The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can build training for your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you’d like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at [email protected].