The Coca-Cola Company has created the Coca-Cola Leader Lab, a people-centric leadership program that addresses attracting, developing and retaining an engaged frontline workforce via video-driven content. Its goal is to help develop frontline people-leaders by giving them the skills they need to grow in their careers and help others grow in theirs, said Dagmar Boggs, Coca-Cola's President of Foodservice and On-Premise, North Americas.

Labor challenges, particularly the high turnover rates of frontline service employees, continue to be primary concerns of the foodservice industry. According to the most recent National Restaurant Association survey on restaurant business conditions, more than six in 10 restaurants are understaffed and 79% of operators say their restaurant has job openings that are difficult to fill. While wages continue to be a driving factor in attracting talent, 70% pf the variance in frontline employee engagement and performance is attributed entirely to frontline managers (Gallup Workplace, 2022).

"No single foodservice brand can fix this problem on their own," Boggs said in a company press release. "As more of Gen Z enters the workforce and steps into leadership roles, the entire industry needs to think about how they are attracting and developing their current and future frontline talent.

"As a total business partner dedicated to helping our customers grow their brands, Coca-Cola is uniquely positioned to provide an industry-wide solution that will help equip and transform our current and future foodservice leaders."

The training modules focus on building core capabilities in an engaging and relevant way for a multicultural audience of emerging Gen Z leaders. Participants will gain insights into six transformational leadership skills, with an optional add-on module on culture building:

  • Casting Vision: Starting a leadership growth journey by knowing the direction and why
  • Critical Thinking: Turning obstacles into opportunities that improve team performance
  • Communication: Communicating in a way that is simple, specific and connects to both hearts and minds
  • Conflict Resolution: Understanding conflict types and how to create a plan for resolution
  • Collaboration: Knowing how, where and when to include others
  • Coaching Mentality: Embracing different perspectives and actions to achieve specific results

"It's no secret that a brand's customer experience will never be better than its employee experience," Boggs said. "Employees are naturally wired for growth, and there's a critical need for foodservice brands to improve how they engage and foster the professional growth of their frontline teams. Coca-Cola Leader Lab gives our partners a meaningful way to invest in the frontline individuals directly responsible for driving their customer loyalty."

Coca-Coca Leader Lab is free to all of Coca-Cola's Foodservice and On-Premise Partners.

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