Book Review: Be a Frontline H.E.R.O.

Do you know someone who was very good at their job, and as a result was promoted into management without any people training? Maybe you’ve promoted an employee into management assuming they could hack it. Despite our best intentions, truth of the matter is most managers are not equipped to handle the people piece. Dr. Cyndi Laurin, author of Be a Frontline HERO: A Parable to Propel your Job and Life, a new book providing simple and accessible frontline management tools, tells a story we can all relate to that managers can incorporate in the same day and see immediate results.

“Emily” is a conscientious but frustrated server who is on the brink of quitting her job at a local pizzeria when she is suddenly promoted to manager. It will come as no surprise to readers who have been promoted into management that she gets no training and little support in her new role. You will immediately identify with her troubles because they are exactly the kinds of struggles many frontline managers face. Being “one of them” gives Emily complete credibility. That credibility extends to the ideas shared by “Anne”, an expert training leader who befriends and mentors her. 

Anne teaches Emily five, simple tools to start using immediately and quickly sees change in herself and her team. Emily learns how to provide meaningful feedback, how to get her team on the same page in under 10 minutes, and how to prioritize which issues to tackle and which ones to block. By the end of the story, the staff have evolved into self-motivated pros who love their jobs as the pizza joint enjoys great reviews, soaring revenue and very low employee turnover.

Transform yourself from frontline manager to frontline H.E.R.O.:
• Huddles – everyday!
• Engage in being in a Position to Notice for Keep it Ups and Adjusts!
• Remember 3 Keep it Ups for every 1 Adjust.
• Only Tackle issues that have a deadline associated with them.

Written as a narrative, the book is a quick and easy yet powerful read, and the content can be implemented immediately. It’s not only a highly effective for new frontline leaders but can serve as a valuable model for experienced leaders as well. It’s an interesting and fun read about a scenario that anyone can relate to.

Be a Frontline H.E.R.O. is a great resource for frontline teams to develop important skills that produce better outcomes for customers and the company. Everybody wins!