Based on the relatively new operating structure that McDonald’s implemented, we needed to develop a robust curriculum to help our various restaurant leaders truly lead and achieve the desired results. With our highest level restaurant lead, the General Manager, we used a blended learning approach that challenged them to see the business through their boss’s eyes and appear as more of a business partner rather than a team lead.

Once our General Managers complete the functional and leadership portions of their curriculum, they are eligible to attend a week-long simulation at Hamburger University. They are not only are expected to apply what they’ve learned in a dynamic environment but also immediately learn how their individual decisions impact the entire McDonald’s system. The premise of learning during the week is for the General Managers to broaden their thinking from ‘me’ to ‘we’. This session will allow you to experience one of the activities within the simulation.

To effectively move students from learners to leaders:

• Provide relevant hands-on experiences, like simulations, to increase engagement
• Transition from doing activities to thought-provoking debriefs
• Include text-based feedback to support meter result to provide more context and reflection