Line Leader Essentials
An 8-week program that taught production Line Leaders how to lead, not just how to do the job.
Click through the PowerPoint above to see the introduction to the course. If the quality looks lower than expected, use the expand button in the PowerPoint viewer or click here.
At a Glance
Role: Designed, developed and ran the program, working with subject matter experts
Audience: Production Line Leaders at a food manufacturing site (about 15 completed)
Format: Weekly classroom and digital learning, a half-hour end-of-week session, and on-the-job assessment
Tools: PowerPoint, Microsoft Forms, Adobe Character Animator, Adobe Premiere Pro, WhatsApp, YouTube
Audience: Production Line Leaders at a food manufacturing site (about 15 completed)
Format: Weekly classroom and digital learning, a half-hour end-of-week session, and on-the-job assessment
Tools: PowerPoint, Microsoft Forms, Adobe Character Animator, Adobe Premiere Pro, WhatsApp, YouTube
The Challenge
Line Leaders were appointed for their tenure and their knowledge of the floor, not for their leadership skills. Shift Manager assessments showed they needed support in areas like communication, people management and problem solving. The group also had real concerns: nervousness, scepticism from past training, language barriers and discomfort with technology. There was no LMS, and the program had to take no more than two hours a week off the production floor.
What I Did
I designed and developed the full program. Subject matter experts supplied content for their areas (HR, Safety and Quality), and I built the learning materials and chose how each week was delivered.
Variety: Classroom sessions, online learning, video and a podcast, so the program suited different learning styles.
Digital delivery without an LMS: Online modules ran through Microsoft Forms and were sent out via WhatsApp.
Rules of Engagement: In week 1 the group agreed on how they would learn together. These covered commitment, respect, communication, privacy and a safe space to make mistakes.
Weekly rhythm: Learn at the start of the week, complete the assessment by the end, and catch up at a half-hour end-of-week session. Each session reviewed what they’d learned, how they had applied it, and ended with a team puzzle game that tested critical thinking.
Support groups: One WhatsApp group per shift, used for questions, sharing learning and celebrating wins.
Assessment: Shift Managers observed each Line Leader’s pre-start meeting to see the week’s learning in practice. Assessments were scored, with a follow-up support plan for anyone who needed another attempt.
Inside the Program
Week 1: Introduction (classroom, 1 hr) - Program overview, rules of engagement and team building.
Week 2: Communication (digital, 20 mins) - The 5 Cs of communication.
Week 3: People Management (classroom, 1 hr) - Expectations, above and below the line behaviours, and the Fair Work Act.
Week 4: Difficult Conversations (classroom, 2 hrs) - Preparing for and managing conversations in a structured, respectful way.
Week 5: Safety (classroom, 1 hr) - Identifying hazards, risks and controls.
Week 6: Quality and Compliance (digital and classroom) - Quality basics including CCP, RCP, QCP and GMP, plus manual handling.
Week 7: Problem Solving (classroom, 1.5 hrs) - A 5-step method including 5 Whys.
Week 8: Reflection (classroom, 1 hr) - Reviewing what they’d learned and how it applies to the day-to-day role.
What Happened
Engagement: Despite a nervous start, attitudes improved noticeably by week 3. Participants said they looked forward to Mondays.
Communication and confidence: Participants reported better emotional control on the shop floor and more confidence in difficult conversations.
Seen on the floor: Shift Managers observed learning being applied in day-to-day work.
Teamwork: The group built a safe, trusting space, shared challenges openly and celebrated each other’s progress.
Reach: About 15 Line Leaders completed the program, and it is now rolling out nationally.
Snippets from the Program
A few samples of the learning materials from the program. Press play on the video or click through the slides. Names and company details have been removed.
Quality Week Introduction
The video that opens the quality week, introducing why quality is a core part of the Line Leader role.
Difficult Conversations
The slide deck behind the two-hour classroom session. It covers what a difficult conversation is, why it matters, when to have one, and how to prepare for and run it.
Click the arrows to browse.