At Jack in the Box, we’re always looking to do things a little differently—whether that's serving up tacos at a burger joint or delivering employee development that's as fast-paced and engaging as our restaurants.
As we prepped for our latest district manager leadership program, we faced a challenge that’s all too familiar: How do you deliver meaningful learning to people on the go, who rarely have time to sit at a desk?
That's where blended microlearning—and tools like 7taps—came in to help us break out of the box in more ways than one.
Watch Lisa McClure and Stephanie Lauridsen share their practical strategies for building a blended microlearning leadership program using 7taps. Powered by MicrolearningCONF.
“Not many at Jack had actually heard of microlearning before. So step one is really selling this as an all new approach. We had to make it clear we are not using a canned presentation or the same style of elearning courses that they see from us every day. This is created in a different system with a different feel that appears much more digestible than a standard long form course would be."
How we transformed traditional leadership development with microlearning
Our initial plan for this program was to do a multi-day, in-person conference for our district managers (DMs). These leaders are constantly on the move, managing multiple stores, fielding changing products, and dealing with evolving business needs—screen time is a luxury they rarely have.
We soon realized the travel costs and new labor mandates made in-person learning unworkable. But we also knew that it was going to be A LOT of training material and too much for a simple “virtual” conference. We needed something faster, more accessible, and genuinely useful in the real world.
Here’s how we broke leadership learning down into something doable:
1. Start by getting buy-in for a radically new approach.
We showcased visual examples—interactive mini-videos, realistic restaurant scenarios, clickable quizzes—to paint a picture of a modern, action-oriented learning experience. It was all about selling the “what’s in it for you?” angle with clear visuals and real-world relevance.
2. Prioritize accessibility and integration with familiar systems.
Our DMs are a spectrum when it comes to tech skills, so the experience had to be easy. We delivered the program within our existing learning system, using its unique, bite-sized layout. On the physical side, we developed workbooks and guides that contained QR codes linking to 7taps microlearning courses.
3. Recreate the magic of in-person connection—virtually.
Our people were hungry for in-person connection. So each district manager was matched with a “coach”—field leaders who were prepared ahead of time to guide, answer questions, and serve as onsite change champions throughout the process. These coaches got trained first, acting both as supporters and as buzz-generators to drive excitement.
4. Anchor learning within daily routines.
Instead of creating yet another “extra task” to add to a DM’s never-ending list, we made sure our learning fit seamlessly into their flow of work. The 7taps reminders were completed during regular restaurant visits using QR codes right on their phones—no additional computer login required. Learning was practical, relevant, and immediately applicable, taking no more than 20 minutes per day.
5. Build in repetition, engagement, and just enough structure.
From short, highly produced YouTube-style episodes to animated explainers and micro-quizzes, we built a rhythm that kept people coming back, but without ever feeling bogged down. Evolve's chapter structure gated progress just enough to keep folks on track, while our coach check-ins gave opportunities for real-life application and feedback.
The outcome: more impact, less overwhelm
Rolling out our leadership program in accessible, digestible chunks paid off. DMs could work through the material at their own pace, deepen their leadership practice with in-the-moment activities, and turn to a real person—their coach—when they hit a snag, not just a help desk email.
We quickly saw the impact filter down to restaurants as routines and communication strategies started to change for the better. Perhaps most exciting, having pioneered this blended microlearning model for leaders has now given us the tools, experience, and buy-in to innovate faster across our whole learning and development landscape.
Break out of the training-as-usual box with microlearning
If our journey shows anything, it’s that microlearning—especially with tools like 7taps—opens the door for faster, more flexible, and field-friendly training that really sticks.
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