What does the team need from its leaders?
Select the capabilities that matter most, define the behaviors people should see, and clarify how managers will create the conditions for success.
Who’s in the room, and what’s the work?
Start with who this session is for: you, the manager leading it, and the frontline leaders who report to you and will be part of the alignment. Then define the work together.
The steps ahead move from broad to specific. Frontline Leader Competencies starts with all 10 leadership competencies so you can pick what matters for this role. Define Frontline Leader Key Behaviors turns each one you picked into a specific behavior, paired with the condition you as the manager need to create to support it. Prioritize Frontline Leader Behaviors narrows that list to the 3 behaviors worth focusing on for 90 days. Align Manager Conditions & Frontline Behaviors starts with your own commitment to those conditions, then moves to agreements that go both ways between you and your frontline leaders. Unified Commitment names an owner and dates — a joint commitment, not something handed down.
Several fields ahead also come prefilled with suggested starting text — for example, the behaviors in Define. These are common starting points, not something generated from what you type here. Read and edit every prefilled field so it reflects this team, not a generic default.
1. Identify the results the team must deliver.
2. Name the recurring constraints or breakdowns.
3. Name the strengths or enablers already present to build from.
4. Describe what frontline leaders must do consistently.
Describe actions people can see, both what’s getting in the way and what’s already working. Avoid personality labels, assumed motives, and vague qualities.
Which frontline leader competencies matter most here?
Select every competency that is important for the role. These become the framework for the behaviors you’ll define next and for future assessment items.
Define the behavior — and what you, as manager, will do to enable it
For each competency you picked, you’ll write three things: the specific frontline leader behavior, the condition you as manager must create to make it possible, and the evidence you’d see. All three are seeded with suggested starting text — edit every field so it reflects this team, not a generic default.
Choose three frontline leader behaviors to strengthen first
Select the behaviors that would have the greatest meaningful impact in the next 90 days.
Commit to the conditions, then agree on how you’ll work together
Start with your own commitment as manager. Then the agreements that go both ways between you and your frontline leaders.
This is the same “What managers must do” field from Define, for the 3 behaviors you prioritized. Edit it here or back in Define — it’s the same answer either place.
Now the agreements that go both ways. Edit these to fit this team — specific enough that everyone would recognize when one is being honored or broken.
Which of these will require the most change from you — and what will your frontline leaders see when you’re honoring it?
Leave with a unified commitment and follow-through
This is a joint commitment — yours and your frontline leaders’, not something handed down. Name who owns it, who else is part of the follow-up conversation, and when you’ll check progress. This session isn’t shared with your frontline leaders automatically — use the actions below to save or distribute it.
“Send results” sends this record to Burns Leadership Consulting for tracking — it doesn’t go to your frontline leaders. To share the plan with your team, copy the summary or use “Create PDF” for a formatted copy you can print, save, or send.