Franchise and multi-location training leaders face a persistent challenge. Expectations for consistency, leadership capability, and customer experience continue to rise, while turnover and operational pressure increase. Training is often asked to solve these problems without the structure or authority required to influence real behavior in the field.
That tension is why the Training Impact Podcast recently featured Lindsey Halson, Senior Director of Training and Development at Bojangles. Her perspective resonates because it is grounded in operational reality. Lindsey has spent her career at the intersection of education, leadership development, and frontline execution, helping teams perform under pressure while still growing capability over time.
What emerges from the conversation is a clear insight for learning and development professionals. Training only creates impact when it is aligned to leadership behavior, cultural expectations, and how work actually gets done. Content alone is never enough.
This spotlight highlights Lindsey’s background, the most practical takeaways from the discussion, and how those insights connect to a deeper case study that documents Bojangles’ training structure, learner roles, and best practices.
Lindsey’s approach to training is shaped by her roots in education. Early in her career, she learned that learning must be observable, measurable, and adaptable to different learners. Knowing information does not equal applying it. Teaching does not guarantee understanding. Improvement only happens when feedback is grounded in evidence.
When Lindsey joined Bojangles, the training environment looked familiar to many franchise systems. Teams were dedicated. Standards existed. But training focused heavily on task execution. Trainers showed people how to do things and hoped repetition would drive mastery.
What was missing was a shared learning strategy. There was no consistent way to measure whether learning translated into performance. There was no clear framework connecting training activity to outcomes in the field.
Rather than adding more courses or tools, Lindsey and her team stepped back and redefined what leaders actually needed to do, how those behaviors could be observed, and how training could support development in the flow of work.
One of the most practical insights from the conversation is the shift away from exposure-based training. Watching videos or attending classes does not guarantee performance.
At Bojangles, leadership expectations are defined through a small set of observable behaviors. During peak periods, leaders are expected to monitor the operation, listen for breakdowns, and coach their teams in real time. These expectations are explicit and measurable.
This approach removes subjectivity. Leaders are not told to “be better” in abstract terms. They are shown exactly what to focus on, how it is measured, and why it matters.
For L&D teams supporting distributed or external audiences, this principle aligns closely with extended enterprise learning models, where training must influence behavior without relying on direct managerial control. Effective extended enterprise training treats franchisees, partners, and operators as part of a shared learning ecosystem rather than passive recipients of content.
Another theme that resonates with training leaders is how Bojangles uses structured observation to develop leaders.
During the busiest parts of a shift, leaders are observed using simple, one-page tools. These observations focus on where attention is directed, how often coaching occurs, and how effectively leaders balance task execution with team leadership.
Observation is not about enforcement. It is about awareness. Leaders receive concrete feedback that allows them to choose specific behaviors to improve.
This method reflects educational best practices and mirrors how modern franchise training programs are designed to scale. When training systems organize learners by role, reinforce expectations through real-world observation, and provide consistent feedback, they become operational assets rather than administrative overhead.
Lindsey also challenges traditional training sequences that delay practice. Historically, learners were expected to read manuals, watch demonstrations, and observe trainers before being allowed to try tasks themselves.
At Bojangles, learners are hands-on much sooner. Trainers step back and intervene only when necessary. Mistakes are treated as learning moments, not failures.
This approach builds confidence faster and reinforces accountability. Leaders learn that their role is not to rescue but to coach.
For organizations training frontline teams, customers, or external operators, this philosophy extends beyond internal enablement. When people understand expectations and receive timely feedback, the experience improves for everyone downstream, including customers. The connection between internal training and customer outcomes is why customer training strategies increasingly mirror internal enablement models.
The podcast conversation offers a practical view into how Bojangles thinks about leadership and learning. The companion case study, Bojangles: Turning Franchise Leadership into Operational Advantage, documents how those ideas are operationalized.
The case study outlines learner groups, role-based development paths, and best practices aligned with the LatitudeLearning Training Program Roadmap. Readers will see how training maturity evolves from foundational knowledge to behavior-driven performance systems, and how that progression helps overcome common franchise challenges like early turnover, inconsistent leadership, and uneven customer experience.
For training managers and L&D professionals, the case study provides structure where the conversation provides insight.
What makes Lindsey’s perspective valuable is its practicality. The ideas discussed are not theoretical. They reflect what works when teams are busy, leaders are stretched, and performance matters every day.
The principles apply well beyond franchising. Any organization supporting partners, operators, or external audiences can benefit from focusing on clarity, behavior, and systems rather than one-time training events.
Training professionals looking to increase impact will find both the conversation and the case study useful as real-world examples of learning strategy driving measurable outcomes.
🎧 To explore the full conversation, listen to the Training Impact Podcast episode featuring Lindsey Halson of Bojangles.
📄 For a structured breakdown of training, learner roles, and best practices, download the companion case study: Bojangles: Turning Franchise Leadership into Operational Advantage
🌐 Learn more about Bojangles on their website
https://www.bojangles.com/
