Peter Tulumello is changing the culture at one of Canada’s largest grocery retailers. As a grocery chain, Sobeys has a large segment of frontline workers and with it, their own unique pain points.

To understand the problems that the frontline faces, Peter recognized that he needed to get into the stores to understand frontline workers’ day-to-day roles. Listen to this interview to hear how Peter identified major problems and came up with valuable solutions.


Connect with Peter Tulumello

• Peter on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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What happens when a mechanical engineer tackles an L&D problem? A completely redesigned learning environment.

On this episode of Workplace Stories, we interview General Mills’ Valerie Digman. Valerie describes how she helped solve a frontline training problem and improved efficiency by 5%.

If you’re interested in improving efficiency and rethinking traditional training methods, you won’t want to miss this interview. Press play to learn from Valerie’s experience at General Mills.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• The work she does [4:32]
• The difference between [6:15]
• Problem-solving [9:48]
• Process of problem-solving [15:28]
• Lightning round [21:06]
• Strategy to gain 5% in efficiency [23:03]
• What they learned [29:38]
• Their biggest challenges [30:48]
• How to apply more broadly [32:52]
• Working with union vs nonunion [36:46]
• What’s next [39:25]
• Resources for senior leaders [41;50]
• Valerie’s biggest learning experience [43:48]
• Why Valerie does what she does [45:10]

Resources & People Mentioned

• Axonify

Connect with Valerie Digman

• Valerie Digman on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

We’re all humans, so the needs of workers are similar across the board. John Brothers has learned this from his time as VP of Talent at Acuity.

On today’s episode of Workplace Stories, John recounts his experience working through Acuity’s cultural and business mindset shift and how that has affected the frontline workforce and beyond.


Connect with John Brothers

• John on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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Improving the employee experience starts with data. Rotana’s Andrew Wolhunter understands that and uses Rotana’s qualitative data to retain frontline workers in a competitive market.

Andrew has an enthusiasm and infectious energy that he not only shares with his coworkers at Rotana, but he also shares this excitement with us on today’s episode. Listen in to learn how Andrew is using data to lead the change in the employee experience at Rotana.


Connect with Andrew Wolhunter

• Andrew on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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Frontline workers face unique challenges so organizations are making changes to empower them. On this season of Workplace Stories, we’re exploring the unique challenges and positive situations happening on the frontline.

On this episode, we chat with Tabatha Cronin to learn how Cargill is supporting its massive frontline labor force. Listen in to learn how Cargill dug in to understand the motivations driving their employees. You won’t want to miss how this changed the way the company approached its solutions.


Resources & People Mentioned

• ReThinking - Adam Grant’s podcast
• BOOK - Think Again by Adam Grant
• BOOK - Never Waste a Crisis by Anne Harbison

Connect with Tabatha Cronin

• Tabatha on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

Frontline workers can have an outsized influence on the success of an organization. They are often the only interface our customers have with a brand. At RedThread Research, we have been diving into how to support frontline workers more holistically which is why this season we are focusing on the unique challenges that frontline workers face. We’ll also explore the changes organizations are making to empower them, as well as the good things happening on the frontline and how organizations can adapt those practices more broadly.In this episode, we welcome Steve Hunt from SAP. Steve has a unique perspective based on his work as an organizational psychologist in the technology space. This discussion was a fantastic way to open the conversation and sets the bar high for the rest of the season. Don’t miss it; press play now to listen.

Connect with Steve Hunt

• Steve on LinkedIn
• BOOK - Talent Tectonics by Steve Hunt

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

Welcome back to our ninth season! We are excited about these upcoming episodes. In this season, Stacia and I focus on the frontline by discussing frontline workers with thought leaders from many organizations across various industries.

Frontline workers have typically been a part of the workforce that has been swept under the rug, but during the pandemic, they were thrust to the forefront of people’s minds.

In this season, we’ll discuss how to define a frontline worker, how to lead them, how to engage with them, and how to help them plan their career path.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• Why we chose this topic for our 9th season [2:32]
• What frontline workers are [3:38]
• What has shifted for frontline workers [8:10]
• Themes of this season [10:10]
• What we’re looking forward to learning [13:12]
• How this season aligns with our research [16:26]

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

A lot has changed for managers and organizations over the last three years. So, what can be done to successfully navigate those changes so that managers can be successful and organizations can continue to thrive?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is designing a new framework for their managers to help them better understand what they can be doing to intentionally lead their staff.

This inspiring conversation with Paula Matthews from AAFP is a fantastic way to wrap up our Making Managing Manageable series.

If you are just wrapping up season eight, now is a great time to subscribe to the podcast. You can get even more RedThread content by joining our membership community. Try it out for free for seven days to see what we’re all about!You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• The rapid-fire questions [5:32]
• Paula’s role at AAFP [9:17]
• What has changed for managers over the last three years [10:10]
• What managers will return to [14:00]
• What sets good managers and not-so-good managers apart [15:40]
• Why managers are struggling today [18:24]
• AAFP’s new manager framework [20:20]
• How they implement their training framework [26:25]
• How to empower employees to take control of their tasks [27:33]
• The lightning round questions [34:19]
• The role of leadership development [35:45]

Resources & People Mentioned

• Season 0 - Is Purpose Working?

Connect with Paula Matthews

• AAFP

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

In this episode of Workplace Stories we talked to Moderna’s Noah Rabinowitz and Nkiruka Ogbuchiekwe. We explore ways that managers and other leaders can question conventionality by recognizing and thinking through false dichotomies. Listen in to hear how Moderna is building its systems by putting its company culture first and by constantly questioning traditional ways of doing things.


Learn more


End-of-Season Webinar

Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and identify our questions on how to make managing more manageable.

Register today


Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• BOOK - Night by Elie Wiesel
• BOOK - Professionalizing Leadership by Barbara Kellerman
• Check out season 0 - Is Purpose Working?
• RedThread's Purpose Research

Connect with Noah Rabinowitz and Nkiruka Ogbuchiekwe

• Noah on LinkedIn
• Nkiruka on LinkedIn
• Moderna

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Want full access to the episode's transcript? Try our RTR membership with a 7-day trial. Listen to our top episodes, explore cutting-edge research, attend exclusive member-only events, and share with a top-notch cohort community of industry leaders and peers. Take it for a spin!

On this episode of Workplace Stories, Affirm’s Feedback and Development Lead, Kaitlyn Mathews, describes how her organization uses its data to drive changes within the company. Kaitlyn also touches on their delivery systems, the HR relationship with managers, using tech to strategize, and how she uses her role to help others realize their capabilities.

Learn more

End-of-Season Webinar

Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and identify our questions on how to make managing more manageable.

Register today


Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

Connect with Kaitlyn Mathews

• Kaitlyn Mathews on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Want full access to the episode's transcript? Try our RTR membership with a 7-day trial. Listen to our top episodes, explore cutting-edge research, attend exclusive member-only events, and share with a top-notch cohort community of industry leaders and peers. Take it for a spin!