Laurel Geddes
Laurel Geddes
Product Design Manager — Laurel.Geddes@gmail.com
 

Employee Experience, Research

A Day in the Life—District Manager Effectiveness Study

Client Industry: Coffee Shop
Client Revenue & Footprint: Fortune 500, Worldwide
Project duration: 6 weeks

 
 

Gaining insight into the needs, frustrations, and workload of District Managers to find ways to increase their job satisfaction and effectiveness

 

My Role

Employee Experience
Research & Analysis
Workshop Facilitation
Journey Map
Persona

 
 

PROJECT BRIEF

 

 Objectives

  • Perform a gap analysis between the stated expectations of District Managers in the ‘DM Approach’ (what they are asked to do), and the reality in the field (what they actually do)?

  • Quantify where and how District Manager operations can be improved.

  • Learn how District Managers feel about the DM Approach, and where they feel there are challenges and opportunities.

  • Learn what the DM work responsibilities are, how they organize and plan their time, and what roadblocks impact their ability to execute their plan and the prescribed DM Approach.

A different Approach

To help the client team meet their stated objectives, we combined Operational Analysis and Customer Experience methodologies. Our initiative would review and analyze operating processes and requirements of DM activities. But we also brought an approach grounded in empathy—listening and observing to reveal ways to increase District Manager job satisfaction.

 
 

DATA COLLECTION

 

Methodology

We executed a work sampling study that captured quantitative data points by shadowing District Managers throughout their day and week. In addition, we conducted leadership interviews and completed research of District Manager job description, training materials and work design to gain alignment on the expectations of District Managers' time. Conducted interviews with District Managers and their supervisors to capture qualitative data.

  • Regions: Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York.

  • Shadowed 10 DMs (2 days each) through ‘ride-alongs’ in identified markets to collect unbiased data on work distribution.

    • Work sampling ‘snapshots’ collected every 2 minutes to capture to the proportion of time DMs spend on different tasks.

  • Field interviews with 12 DMs and 4 Regional Directors to understand expectations in each region.

  • Interviews with 12 individuals on the Starbucks Support Center (SSC) team to understand the current state expectations and goals.

  • Workshop with 4 DMs (2 hours each) in 2 regions to understand what they feel works well, where they think there are issues, and how they think things could be improved.

data collection.png
 
 

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE DELIVERABLE

 
Note: the data in this visual has been edited. These are not the actual results of the study.

Note: the data in this visual has been edited. These are not the actual results of the study.

 
 

SUMMARY

 

I led the Customer Experience workstream, which culminated in the delivery of A Day in the Life of a District Manager. It combines quantitative and qualitative data to provide a complete picture of the current state, highlighting and summarizing the time allocation, emotional journey, and key challenges of a District Manager during a typical day and week. This document also serves as an executive-level summary to highlight critical variables that are pulling District Managers away from the recommended approach, along with key opportunities to address these variables and improve the overall effectiveness of District Managers.

This document had such an impact on client leadership that it continues to be referenced regularly by client teams as an effective tool to visualize gaps between role expectations and the day-to-day reality for District Managers.