The audience we almost always overlook in digital workplace launches

One of my favourite moments from the Everyone Active Flip launch wasn't talking about the technology. It was talking about people.

When we think about launching a new employee platform, most organisations instinctively focus on two audiences.

First, the deskless and frontline teams. And quite rightly; they're the people we're trying to reach, support and connect every day.

Second, senior leaders. We want them to be visible, engaged and seen to champion the change.

Both audiences are incredibly important. But there's another audience that can have an even bigger impact on whether a launch succeeds or quietly struggles.

Middle managers. General Managers. Department Heads. Site Managers. The people who bridge organisational strategy and day-to-day reality.

Too often they're treated as the people who deliver the change, rather than the people who need to experience the change themselves. And that distinction matters. These are the people who understand what life is really like on the frontline. They know where communication breaks down, what frustrates their teams and which processes create unnecessary work.

They're also the people most often asked to cascade messages, answer questions and encourage adoption after launch. If they don't believe in the platform, if they don't understand it, if they don't see how it helps them, then it's incredibly difficult for anyone else to.

On the other hand, when you involve them early in the digital workplace strategy, something different happens:

1. They help shape the launch

2. They challenge assumptions

3. They highlight practical issues you may never have spotted from head office

4. And perhaps most importantly, they become genuine advocates rather than reluctant messengers.

   
   

At Everyone Active we spent time with General Managers before launch, not simply to brief them, but to listen, test ideas and hear their feedback. The energy in the room was fantastic.

Hear Jen Draper talk about how middle manager engagement impacts a digital workplace launch

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Not because we'd shown them lots of features, but because they could immediately see how the platform would help them communicate more effectively, reduce the reliance on WhatsApp, keep teams informed and make day-to-day management easier.

That's when adoption really starts.

Because successful launches aren't created by communications teams alone.

They're built by the people who influence behaviour every single day.

So, if you're planning your next employee app, intranet or digital workplace launch, ask yourself one simple question.

Are your middle managers part of the launch plan... or are they just part of the communications plan?

The answer could make all the difference.

Questions we're asked about middle manager engagement in a digital workplace launch

How did you involve middle managers without slowing the project down?

We involved operational leaders from the very beginning rather than waiting until launch. That meant General Managers and Heads of Department weren't simply reviewing a finished solution, they were helping shape it.

In practice, that saved time. We identified potential issues earlier, made better decisions and reduced the amount of adjustments later in the project.

Why did you pre-launch to middle managers?  Why not just launch to everyone collectively?

Because different audiences have different roles in making a launch successful.

At Everyone Active, we worked with a small number of trailblazer sites first to test ideas, gather honest feedback and understand what worked in the reality of a busy leisure environment.

We then expanded engagement through General Managers, followed by Heads of Department, before launching more widely across sites. Each stage built confidence, strengthened the approach and gave us practical insights that improved the experience for everyone else.

What was the biggest moment in creating ownership?

Launching Flip live to every General Manager at Everyone Active's annual Colleague Forum.

Rather than presenting a finished product and asking for support, we invited questions, encouraged challenge and asked for genuine feedback. It created energy around the launch because people could see how the digital platform would help them and knew their opinions would continue to shape the rollout.

How did you make sure the solution reflected the reality of desk-less work?

We spent as much time as possible understanding how centres actually operate. That meant visiting sites, talking to managers, listening to colleagues and seeing first-hand the challenges they face every day. The best decisions came from those conversations, not from assumptions made in meeting rooms.

Good employee experience design starts with curiosity. It means being prepared to ask questions, challenge your own thinking and accept that the people closest to the work usually have the best answers.

What happened after the launch event?

The conversation didn't stop.

We stayed available, encouraged feedback and continued refining the approach as new ideas emerged. Launches aren't a finish line, they're the start of adoption. Keeping communication open helped General Managers feel they were part of the journey rather than simply being asked to deliver it.

What's the biggest lesson from the project?

Don't ask middle managers for buy-in once all the important decisions have already been made. Give them ownership from the start.

When managers help shape the solution, they don't become another communication channel. They become advocates who understand why the change matters, can explain it with confidence and are far more likely to embed it into the everyday habits of their teams.

Middle manager engagement in a digital workplace launch is often the difference between a platform that's simply introduced and one that's genuinely adopted.