Companies that succeed in redefining the job of the frontline manager can improve their performance remarkably. Instead of administrative work and meetings, they should focus on coaching their employees and on constantly improving quality.
District managers, store managers, plant managers and line supervisors direct much of the workforce and are responsible for the part of the company that typically defines the customer experience. Yet most of the time, these managers operate as cogs in a system, with limited flexibility in decision making and little room for creativity.
This limited flexibility can make companies less productive, less agile and less profitable. Change is possible, however. At companies that have successfully empowered their frontline managers, the resulting flexibility and productivity generate strong financial returns. The key is a shift to frontline managers who have the time to address the unique circumstances of their specific stores, plants or mines; to foresee trouble and stem it before it begins; and to encourage workers to seek out opportunities for self-improvement. In difficult times, making employees more productive is even more critical than it is ordinarily.
