Developing Front Line Talent Through Collaborative Learning

In manufacturing, the speed and quality of problem-solving often determine competitive advantage. Collaborative Learning, helps to nurture a deeper understanding of work processes, strengthens communication, and develops the critical problem-solving and teamworking skills that modern operations demand.

Collaborative learning occurs during hands-on, cross-functional small team improvement projects which incorporate coaching to help team members gain insights about causal factors and learn from other team members. Projects can range from dealing with problem hot spots to enhancing work routines that support task transfer. As part of this process, managers and business leaders participate in the learning journey to develop coaching and mentoring skills that reinforce a proactive improvement culture and nurture workforce engagement.

In addition to developing smarter, standardised practices, the soft teamwork skillls developed embed new, effective habits into everyday work relationships. The result? Improved productivity, higher quality standards, and a more engaged, resilient workforce.

The Collaborative Learning Process

Collaborative Learning is carried out alongside the day to day routine and is designed to simultaneously develop the capabilities of those in roles of:

1. Area Leadership

   • Practical improvement projects build technical skills and behavioural competence, such as responding effectively to out-of-control conditions.

   • Developing the right behaviours is a mark of effective leadership and is essential to achieving local improvement goals. Tools such as video review of team activities provide powerful learning feedback.

2. Execution

   • Role-specific learning plans ensure employees go beyond mastering tasks—they learn to demonstrate the right mindset, engagement, and problem-solving outlook.

3. Planning

   • Continuous learning becomes an embedded part of systematic improvement.

   • On-the-job development is structured and supported through consistent coaching and mentoring by team leaders and supervisors.

Learning Topics

The TPM Excellence programme delivers broad benefits across all levels of the organisation:

• For Individual Employees:

  • Technical Training: Data analysis, problem-solving, troubleshooting, and best practice design.

  • Leadership: Effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.

  • Teamwork: Building strong working relationships, staying motivated, and managing time effectively.

  • Quality: Understanding and applying standards, quality control, and defect categorisation.

  • Safety: Emphasising risk assessment, safe working practices, and PPE compliance.

• For Leaders and Stakeholders:

  • Gain hands-on experience in coaching and mentoring.

  • Understand the purpose, payoff, and process of capability-building initiatives.

  • Learn how to contribute effectively and follow through post-project.

• For Cross-Functional Teams:

  • Trial and refine new methods in a model area.

  • Generate data-backed improvements aligned with long-term business goals.

A Practical, Repeatable Approach

Below is a step-by-step example of implementation:

1. Functional leaders and key stakeholders carry out assessment to identify improvement opportunity constrained by skill gaps.

2. Plan the plan working sessions with Area Leaders, frontline teams, and support staff design quarterly improvement project brief.

3. Collaborative learning cycles is linked to the quarterly improvement cycle using the following coaching touch points:

1. Month 1: Coaching support for front line core team on

   • Problem definition, developing insight into problem area and development of improvement tactics.

   • Relevant investigation processes, stakeholder involvement, measures of performance.

   • Identification of the current state and likely cause/effect mechanisms.

   • Assessment of what is ultimately possible and what can be achieved now.

2. Month 2: Mid-project review, Coaching support focus on:

   • Documenting the insights gained

   • Develop an improvement glide path to lock in lessons learned,

   • Refine and standardise the method to account for variation in the work environment.

3. Month 3: Feedback and roll out plans to support policy deployment. Coaching support covering:

   • Steps to make the approach easy to do right, difficult to do wrong, simple to learn.

   • Analysis to confirm progress and track results.

   • Transfer of lessons learned.

Deliverables

Collaborative learning is part of the TPM Excellence programme because it is a proven approach to building technical, behavioural, and leadership capability to embed skill development into the fabric of daily work. It provides:

• Optimal alignment of people to tasks.

• Reduced dependency on tacit, hard-to-transfer knowledge.

• Stronger retention of operational know-how.

• Greater workforce flexibility to meet dynamic production demands.

If you’re looking to build a competent, agile, and self-directed workforce—while developing a leadership team equipped to coach, mentor, and sustain high standards—make the TPM Excellence programme part of your strategy.

Let’s connect to explore how we can help you unlock the full potential of your teams and leaders.