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March 2, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

4 Areas of Insight Strong Service Leaders Seek from the Frontline Workforce

March 2, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

4 Areas of Insight Strong Service Leaders Seek from the Frontline Workforce

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Last week, I recorded the first episode of our soon-to-launch podcast called Frontline UNSCRIPTED. For years I’ve heard service leaders speak of the importance of listening to the frontline and have seen how those who are committed to sustainable growth truly invest the time, effort, and energy to do so on a regular basis. These service leaders realize how the unique perspective the frontline holds can help shape strategic decisions.

However, in other businesses, the voice of the frontline remains an untapped source of intelligence. I suppose in some instances, leaders may pay lip service to the value of frontline feedback without genuine conviction (and therefore follow-through). More commonly, I believe, various circumstances converge that prevent the investment of action aligned to the understood importance of frontline voice.

A mid-2025 Gallup survey showed that only 28% of employees in the U.S. strongly agree that their opinions count at work. Whether this reflects a gap in effort or effectiveness, it would behoove any leader to work to ensure the response in their organization would be far higher.

Personally, I learned so much just in this very first conversation for Frontline UNSCRIPTED; I was taken aback by how interesting it was to consider this new viewpoint. My hope is that these podcasts will give service leaders an opportunity to hear perspective beyond their own organizations in a way that will help broaden understanding and spark new ideas for how best to support, empower, equip, and nurture frontline talent. As well as serve as a reminder of the wealth of perspective that lies within your frontline.

The Inherent and Strategic Benefits of Listening

Companies that are applying ample effort in listening to the frontline are doing so not only because listening is a crucial leadership skill (which it is!) that helps employees to feel valued and respected (which is reason alone), but also because they recognize that the frontline holds a treasure trove of insights that help improve the business. Here are four key areas where the perspective of the frontline can prove invaluable:

  1. Identifying the next most important problem to solve
  2. Deciding the most beneficial next technology investment to make
  3. Understanding true customer sentiment and uncovering where expanded value/growth can come from
  4. Determining how to improve employee retention

In a recent podcast, I welcomed Jeffrey Yip, Associate Professor of Management and Organizational Studies at Simon Fraser University, who teaches leadership in the Executive MBA and Management of Technology programs, conducts research that addresses managerial challenges in work relationships and leading change, and has contributed to resources like HBR and Psychology Today. Our conversation centered around Jeff’s focus on helping leaders to listen to organizational pain through a process called “painstorming” and how doing so can significantly improve change management. This is another area where better listening can both define direction and ease transitions.

A Real-World Example from Walmart’s New CEO

One of the first actions of Walmart’s new CEO, John Furner, when he took the reins as CEO in February, was to encourage employees to share their struggles with him. He is reported to have sent a memo to the company’s 2.1 million employees saying, “Simple ask: Tell me one thing that slows you down or makes it harder to do your job.”

Furner has expressed plans to follow up his memo with time spent gathering employee feedback by visiting stores, warehouses, and offices around the globe. This combination of a memo that lets everyone know their input is not only welcome but sought, followed by investing the time to prove its sincerity by collecting different perspectives in person is impactful.

My inclination is that having been a Walmart employee for more than 50 years and having risen through the ranks himself to the company’s most senior role, Furner understands the wealth of knowledge that resides in the minds of the frontline. He is wise to illustrate the company’s commitment to listening to employee sentiment, as well to recognize that such a ‘simple’ ask is likely to uncover some of the best areas of focus for the company’s continued journey.

Leveraging the Frontline Perspective to Inform Service Innovation

In an episode of UNSCRIPTED that featured Tim Spencer when he retired after more than 35 years in service, having held leadership positions in companies such as Interblock Gaming, BUNN, and Scientific games, I was struck by his sentiment that echoed Fulner’s approach described above.

“Staying put is the same as moving backwards. So, I tried to find something, always, that needed a fix. And I looked to others to help me figure it out,” said Tim. “Then you iterate or innovate on that or find the next business problem to solve. A leader is always on the hunt for the next problem to solve, because every business has a problem somewhere. If you think you don’t, well, there it is.”

It’s to the advantage of service leaders to realize how familiarizing yourself with the daily lives, and particularly daily challenges, of the frontline is an excellent source of uncovering opportunity for transformation or innovation. Where are the bottlenecks in the processes that were ‘optimized’ for what service looked like three or five years ago? What manual processes, cumbersome systems, insufficient knowledge, or conflicting priorities are causing your employees the most frustration?

It’s also important to realize that while listening to the sentiment around the existing service operations will likely surface issues that could benefit from technology investment, that’s just one lever or tool to consider. Employee feedback will likely help you realize what next digital capability you should prioritize but be sure you’re also listening for the areas where you need to reimagine process, governance, incentives, and even leadership.

Solidifying Your Understanding of Customer Sentiment & Service Growth Potential

Another impactful area where frontline insights are helpful is in validating your understanding of customer sentiment. We’re all familiar with the debate around best customer sentiment measure – NPS, CSAT, or otherwise – as well as their validity. The volume of customer interactions the frontline has, and relationships many of them have developed, offer an anecdotal avenue to add context to your data.

Further, their day-to-day experiences in customer environments offer the frontline a unique view of customer challenges, needs, and opportunities that could serve as your next path to service growth. Perhaps they hear a recurring theme of where additional training or support could be beneficial, or they see potential for an adjacent service to consider expanding into. While you may focus your listening on uncovering where to focus efforts for operational improvements, don’t overlook the ability to call on a perspective that can be strategically valuable as well.

Address Vs. Ignore Retention Woes with Frontline Input

For many service organizations, retention of frontline employees is a struggle. While it may feel easier to try and brush by this reality by either hoping it away or making some generic high-level ‘improvements,’ those willing to dig in to the truth of today’s talent’s needs will have greater success in this crucial area.

There are five generations in the workforce today, all with their own desires, preferences, and goals. What enabled long-term tenure among field technicians for a long time isn’t valid in today’s landscape; there’s an imperative to evolve. No better input than that of the frontline to help understand the perception of your employee value proposition, what should change, and what drivers are most important to the employees you want to keep.

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to be expected. But having conversations regularly vs. avoiding them because the change feels overwhelming allows you to discover commonalities both in what’s working well and what needs to be reimagined.

For Service Leaders Who Want to Improve Listening

In an HBR article that stands the test of time, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman explained six levels of listening. To become a better listener, consider how to put these steps into practice and which you may need to put effort into improving:

  • Level 1: Create a Safe Environment: Establishing a psychologically safe space where the speaker feels comfortable discussing complex or emotional issues.
  • Level 2: Remove Distractions: Focusing entirely on the speaker by eliminating distractions to show respect and improve concentration.
  • Level 3: Understand Substance: Actively seeking to understand the core message by listening for facts, asking clarifying questions, and summarizing to confirm understanding.
  • Level 4: Observe Non-Verbal Cues: Paying attention to body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other subtle, non-verbal signals, which often carry significant meaning.
  • Level 5: Empathize with Emotions: Identifying and acknowledging the speaker’s feelings and emotional state regarding the topic, demonstrating empathy and support without judgment.
  • Level 6: Provide Constructive Feedback/Perspective: Acting as a "trampoline" by asking insightful, guiding questions that help the speaker see issues in a new light, fostering collaborative problem-solving

If you’re interested in taking your personal development a step further, give the podcast with Zach Mercurio, PhD organizational researcher and author of The Power of Mattering a watch below. Whether you're struggling with engagement, turnover, or the gap between the results you want and the results you're getting, Zach’s framework reveals that the magic happens not in programs, but in the daily interactions where leaders show people they matter.

Or listen here:

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February 23, 2026 | 11 Mins Read

A Leadership Playbook: 6 Actions to Establish Service as a Business Imperative

February 23, 2026 | 11 Mins Read

A Leadership Playbook: 6 Actions to Establish Service as a Business Imperative

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Across countless service organizations worldwide service teams are closing deals, solving complex problems, and driving customer loyalty every single day – yet all too often the function is still treated like an afterthought in strategic planning meetings.

Walk into most boardrooms, and you'll hear passionate discussions about sales pipelines, product innovation, and market expansion. But when it comes to service strategy, some businesses have refused to see beyond the perspective of cost management. This disconnect can cost organizations millions in preventable churn, missed revenue opportunities, and burned-out field teams who feel invisible despite working miracles for customers.

Fortunately, there’s a growing number of companies that see service for exactly what it is – and what that can mean for their businesses. This recognition is due in part to leaders like Matt Tice, VP of Global Services at QuidelOrtho, who joined last week’s episode of UNSCRIPTED to share how he flipped the narrative.

After nearly two decades with the same organization, during which he’s navigated a spinoff from Johnson & Johnson, a private equity restructuring, an IPO, and ultimately an acquisition by Quidel, Matt has learned what it takes to position service as the strategic engine that retains customers, drives lifetime value, and creates competitive moats that sales alone cannot build.

His insights aren't theoretical. They're battle-tested across multiple organizational transformations and backed by measurable results: higher retention rates, stronger customer relationships, and an organization where commercial teams now say, unprompted, "We're all in service."

If you're a service leader struggling to get a seat at the strategic table, feeling like your function is perpetually underfunded, or watching your best people leave because they don't see a future in field service, Matt’s insights can likely help you. But before we get there, it’s important to reflect on why this tug-of-war exists in the first place.

The Bigger Picture: Why Service Leaders Battle for Organizational Attention

In many companies, service is still fighting a perception problem – one that's been baked into how most organizations think about business for decades.

The traditional playbook goes like this: sales wins the customer, marketing attracts them, product delights them, and then service... well, service manages the fallout. Handles complaints. Keeps things running. It's the operational equivalent of customer life support – necessary, yes, but not exactly glamorous.

This framing is reinforced by how we measure success. Sales gets credited with revenue. Marketing gets credited with pipeline. Service gets... a cost per ticket metric and a customer satisfaction score that's been "green" for three years running.

The deeper problem is that this siloed thinking costs companies enormous amounts of money. Industry research consistently shows that acquiring a new customer costs anywhere from five to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. Yet how many organizations are allocating their strategic resources proportionally? How many boards are celebrating retention wins the way they celebrate new logo acquisitions?

Matt encountered this exact dynamic early in his career, and it motivated him to build a fundamentally different approach. The challenge isn’t around service’s value – it’s around helping the broader organization connect the dots between exceptional service experiences and bottom-line business outcomes.

The lessons Matt shared during our conversation act as a playbook for making that connection undeniable, visible, and strategically aligned.

#1: Expand Service’s Positioning Beyond the ‘Problem-Solving’ Function

The first insight sounds deceptively simple, but it represents a fundamental shift in how organizations think about service. "Fundamentally, service is all about how we retain customers," Matt explains. "That customer experience becomes the glue that holds customers to our business. And we have hundreds of thousands of interactions every year with customers and really every single one of those is an opportunity for us to bind that customer to us."

When service is positioned as a reactive, post-sale function, it naturally gets treated as a cost center. Leaders ask, "How do we deliver service more cheaply?" rather than "How do we use service to keep customers from leaving?"

When service is positioned as the retention pillar, the conversation fundamentally changes. Now the question becomes, "How do we ensure customers feel so supported, so valued, and so dependent on our relationship that they can't imagine leaving?"

At QuidelOrtho, this reframing had a cascading effect. Matt didn't just tell people that service drives retention. He started highlighting specific retention wins, showcasing customers who renewed because of exceptional service delivery, and making visible the correlation between service quality and customer lifetime value.

What happened next was remarkable. The commercial organization began to understand service not as a separate department, but as a critical part of their own mission. Instead of viewing service as something that happened after the deal closed, they started seeing it as something they were directly responsible for. As Matt describes it: "For the first time ever this year, I heard, 'We're all in service because it has become such a critical part of the entire commercial operation here.'"

How to Apply This Action:

  • Stop measuring service primarily by cost-per-incident. Start measuring by retention rate impact and customer lifetime value contribution.
  • Create a "retention wins" showcase; monthly highlights of customers who renewed specifically because of service excellence.
  • Involve your commercial leadership in service strategy discussions. Make them co-owners of the retention mission.
  • Develop a clear narrative that ties service quality directly to customer growth and repurchase probability.

#2: Combine Storytelling with Data to Unlock Executive Support

One of Matt's most valuable insights came from his 18-month tenure in the finance organization – a deliberate career move he made that shed light on the inner workings of the business.

During his time in finance, Matt observed something fascinating about the leaders who successfully secured major investments: they didn't rely on either storytelling or data alone. They combined compelling narratives with bulletproof analytics, emotional resonance with intellectual rigor.

"When they walked in the room," Matt recalls, "they checked their bias at the door. They checked their emotions at the door, and they came in with really great storytelling. And it wasn't just storytelling; it was backed with robust datasets. It was really hard to argue the initiatives that they wanted to invest in because they had done all their homework."

This may be where many service leaders stumble. Some have strong relational skills, intuition about customer needs, and a natural ability to tell compelling stories about why service matters. But they might lack the financial rigor to back up those stories with impactful data.

Conversely, data-driven service leaders can build impressive dashboards and analytics but fail to create the emotional urgency that drives executive action.

Matt learned firsthand the importance of the combined approach. When pitching for investment in service improvements – whether that's technology, staffing, or process changes – he partners with finance to build the data story and with HR to gather employee metrics. But he frames it all through a narrative lens.

For example, instead of pitching "We need $500K for a new field service management system," Matt might pitch it like this:

"Our customers tell us that reliability is mission-critical to their operations. Seventy percent of their clinical decisions are based on our equipment. When we improve first-time fix rates through better information access for our technicians, reliability increases, which directly impacts customer retention. Our data shows that every 5% improvement in reliability correlates to a 12% improvement in renewal probability. Here's what this means in lifetime customer value across our installed base..."

Notice what just happened: storytelling (customer mission, emotional stakes) combined with data (the 70% statistic, the correlation between reliability and retention, the lifetime value calculation). The executive can feel the importance and see the numbers that validate it.

Another critical insight from Matt's finance time: focus on the metrics that matter to executive thinking.

Most service leaders pitch against EBITDA or revenue – metrics that won't show service's true value in every instance. Instead, Matt learned to pitch against lifetime customer value, a metric that tells the story service leaders need told: "If we invest in this service improvement, it doesn't necessarily drive revenue this quarter, but it keeps our customers in the fold for ten years longer, which is worth X amount of future value."

This reframing required strong partnerships. Matt deliberately cultivated a close working relationship with his finance partner and his HR partner, knowing that cross-functional credibility would make his case unassailable.

How to Apply This Action:

  • Build a finance partnership. Sit down with your CFO or finance business partner and ask them to help you understand lifetime customer value, cohort retention analysis, and the economic impact of customer churn.
  • Partner with your HR team to gather insight into attrition trends, time-to-productivity, engagement scores, and internal mobility. If your investment improves the employee experience, quantify what that means in reduced turnover costs, faster ramp times, or improved customer coverage.
  • Benchmark relentlessly. Know how your reliability, responsiveness, and customer experience compare to competitors. Executives respond to competitive gaps as well as competitive advantages.
  • Practice neutral delivery. As Matt observed in finance, successful leaders check bias and emotion at the door. Passion is important, but objectivity earns trust.

#3: Build a Customer-Centered Commercial Strategy

One of the most pivotal moments in QuidelOrtho’s journey came when leadership intentionally decided that service could be the company’s identity, not just a supporting function.

But that required clarity.

When the organization became a standalone company, service as a differentiator wasn’t yet fully formed. The turning point came when leaders asked a simple but powerful question:

If service is going to differentiate us, differentiate us on what?

The answer did not come from internal brainstorming sessions. It came from customers.

Matt and his team conducted a broad fact-finding mission to understand what customers valued most. What attributes were truly mission-critical? What could they not afford to lose?

One answer stood out: reliability.

Customers shared that up to 70% of the clinical decisions made in their hospitals were based on QuidelOrtho’s diagnostic equipment. That meant downtime wasn’t an inconvenience – it was a risk to patient care.

That insight became strategic fuel.

The team built a customer excellence scorecard around those critical attributes. Reliability wasn’t just a service KPI anymore; it became an executive-level metric reviewed monthly. Leaders across the organization began asking:

  • How are we performing on reliability?
  • How are we performing on time in full?
  • Are we meeting the expectations customers told us were non-negotiable?

This alignment did two powerful things:

  1. It connected service performance directly to business outcomes.
  2. It elevated service metrics into company-wide strategic conversations.

Instead of service reporting in isolation, it became embedded in commercial strategy.

How to Apply This Action:

  • Conduct structured customer interviews to understand the top 3–5 attributes that matter most.
  • Build an executive-facing scorecard around those attributes – not just internal operational metrics.
  • Ensure frontline teams understand how their daily work ladders up to those strategic priorities.

#4: Refine KPIs to Drive the Right Behaviors

Every service organization tracks KPIs. The difference between good and great organizations lies in how intentionally they evolve them.

When Matt stepped into his current role, he inherited a traditional scorecard: first-time fix, responsiveness, NPS, and other familiar measures. Many were green. On paper, everything looked strong.

But green can be deceptive.

Instead of focusing only on the reds, Matt examined the greens. Some metrics had been green for years but weren’t necessarily driving continuous improvement. Targets were being met, but perhaps not stretched.

First-time fix, for example, had remained comfortably above target. By re-baselining the measure closer to industry standards and raising expectations, the team unlocked additional improvement. That improvement tied directly back to reliability and customer retention.

The same scrutiny applied to customer feedback. Transactional NPS scores were consistently above 90%. Impressive, but lacking signal. The team began shifting toward customer effort scores and satisfaction metrics to gain more actionable insight.

This reflects an important philosophy: KPIs are not static. They must evolve with strategy.

Matt’s team reviews and sets KPIs annually alongside the operating plan and monitors them monthly. They’ve had periods of times where they were tracking too few metrics and too many. Today, the goal is clarity without oversimplification:

  • Operational excellence metrics (cost, productivity)
  • Responsiveness metrics (speed)
  • Effectiveness metrics (quality and resolution)
  • Customer-experience-aligned metrics (reliability, satisfaction, effort)

For service organizations in transition in terms of their identity within the business, there can often be real tension between productivity metrics and experience metrics. Overemphasize jobs-per-day, and you risk undermining quality and relationships. Ignore cost discipline, and sustainability suffers.

The key is intentional alignment: measure what customers care about and what drives business outcomes, not just what’s easy to track.

How to Apply This Action:

  • Review your “green” KPIs. Are they driving continuous improvement or just preserving comfort?
  • Limit frontline KPIs to a focused set that balances operational and experiential goals.
  • Regularly assess whether any KPI is driving unintended behavior.

Remember: metrics shape culture. Choose wisely.

#5: Invest in the Frontline Experience

You cannot position service as a differentiator without a workforce capable – and willing – to deliver it.

The field service landscape has shifted dramatically over the past decade. Long-term, 25-year field careers are unicorns rather than the norm. Expectations around flexibility, autonomy, and growth have changed.

Matt shared that QuidelOrtho responded by:

  • Expanding remote work options where possible.
  • Hiring talent from broader geographies.
  • Maintaining in-person culture where it adds value.
  • Building apprentice programs to create bench strength.
  • Adding career progression layers within field service.

Compensation remains important to today’s talent, but it’s important to realize that it’s not the sole driver.

Data from industry organizations like Service Council shows that frontline satisfaction hinges on multiple factors:

  • Work-life balance
  • Technology usability
  • Autonomy
  • Reduced administrative burden
  • Clear growth pathways

That’s why Matt ties many service investments back to employee experience. When pitching to executives, he connects technology upgrades not only to customer outcomes but to reduced attrition, improved time to value, and stronger engagement.

Perhaps most critically, Matt emphasized the importance of frontline leadership.

Promoting a strong technician into management can be effective, but not always – and only if supported properly. Technical excellence does not automatically translate into the capacity for people leadership.

QuidelOrtho has broadened its leadership pipeline by:

  • Developing internal talent intentionally.
  • Bringing in leaders from IT, R&D, and quality.
  • Investing in leadership development to avoid setting new managers up for failure.

How to Apply This Action:

  • Build structured apprenticeship or bench programs.
  • Ensure your leadership promotions are capability-based, not just tenure-based.
  • Quantify attrition costs and include them in business cases for investment.
  • Ensure career progression is visible and attainable.

#6: Use Technology to Elevate the Relational

Matt’s philosophy on technology is clear, and one I happen to agree with: technology should complement the human relationship, not replace it.

In healthcare diagnostics, relationships are built over years. Field service engineers often become embedded in customer operations. Introducing automation carelessly risks eroding that trust.

Instead, Matt says QuidelOrtho is leveraging AI in ways that follow the advice of Elizabeth Dixon: to automate the transactional so humans can elevate the relational.

Examples include:

  • Voice-to-text transcription and automated call summaries.
  • AI-driven knowledge search across thousands of documents.
  • Reducing manual documentation burdens.

The goal is simple: free technicians and remote agents from low-value tasks so they can focus on empathy, problem-solving, and partnership.

How to Apply This Action:

  • Map frontline workflows and identify friction points.
  • Prioritize automation that removes frustration—not customer interaction.
  • Frame technology investments as relational enhancers, not headcount reducers.

Stay the Course

Positioning service as a differentiator is not about rebranding. It’s about disciplined execution across multiple fronts:

  1. Reframing service as the retention engine.
  2. Combining storytelling with data to secure investment.
  3. Building customer-centered strategy.
  4. Aligning KPIs to drive meaningful behavior.
  5. Investing deeply in the frontline experience.
  6. Leveraging technology to elevate human relationships.

None of this happens overnight. It requires intention, cross-functional trust, and sustained leadership focus.

But when it works, something remarkable happens.

You stop hearing, “Service is a cost center.”

And you start hearing, “We’re all in service.”

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Curiosity Over Control: 4 Lessons in Leading Service Across Cultures

February 16, 2026 | 4 Mins Read

Curiosity Over Control: 4 Lessons in Leading Service Across Cultures

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Leading across 15 countries in Asia Pacific demands cultural intelligence, deep curiosity, and the ability to represent your region within a global enterprise.

We dove into all of this and more in last week’s episode of Stand Out UNSCRIPTED with Madhu Oza, Director of Global Technical and Service Excellence for APAC at Abbott Laboratories. Madhu’s role spans Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, and Australia — overseeing capital equipment services for Abbott’s electrophysiology business. The scope is significant, but the complexity goes far beyond geography.

As she explains, the challenge is twofold: operational and human. “The complexity is in two major areas. One area is operations related, and the other is people related — and they’re very intertwined,” Madhu says. Here are four lessons Madhu shared during our conversation that could help any leader in a global role, especially in APAC.

#1: Cultural Intelligence is a Strategic Mandate

One of the most nuanced parts of leading across diverse markets is distinguishing between true cultural differences and simple execution gaps.

Madhu puts it plainly: “It is important to understand how culture pervades business practices… but at the same time be able to separate what’s cultural context from maybe poor execution.”

In other words, not every variance is justified — but not every variance is wrong.

She shares a powerful comparison between Japan and China to illustrate this point. In Japan, decisions are consensus-driven and risk-aware: “Change will take time. But when people have bought into it, then the execution will be top notch. And the ownership will be absolute.”

By contrast, in China: “The teams are very resourceful. They are entrepreneurial. They want to make change. They’re open to experimenting.”

Neither approach is better than the other — but each requires a very different leadership style and strategy.

Madhu also highlights a communication dynamic that often goes overlooked when working with teams on a global scale.

Referencing cultural research popularized by Erin Meyer, she explains: “A lot of cultures in Asia tend to be high context… there is a lot more that you’re communicating than just your words.”

In high-context cultures, leaders must “read the room.” Words alone are insufficient.

Her advice? Clarify rather than assume. Rally around shared goals. “Celebrate the differences where they are justified. Learn from each other. Drive toward the same goals every day.”

#2: There Is No Substitute for Presence

When asked how she’s built this deep cultural understanding, Madhu is direct: “You have to put in the time. And by time, I mean time immersed into that culture.”

And perhaps her most emphatic statement of the episode: “There’s no way to manage Asia Pacific from a screen. It doesn’t work.”

Presence, for Madhu, means more than office visits. It includes customers, partners — even accepting invitations into employees’ homes. “Those experiences teach you so much more than reading a book… You can read all the leadership books in the world, but actually meeting families and understanding viewpoints teaches you a whole lot more.”

Through all of this, her goal isn’t to “fix” or “help” teams — it’s to adapt. “It’s not about me helping or shaping them. It’s really just me adapting to understand how to most effectively provide my team what they need.”

#3: Connection Across Cultures Requires Intention

While Madhu’s connection to her teams is crucial, so too is the connection among teams. Field service leaders understand distributed workforces better than most. When COVID forced others to rethink connection, Madhu had already been navigating that challenge for years.

Her solution? Intentionally create  what she refers to as common spaces. “What I like to do is create common spaces for people who are out there in the field doing their jobs day in and day out.”

These spaces range from in-person country gatherings to virtual best-practice calls, collaborative competitions, and cross-country project support. The goal isn’t forced socialization — it’s shared purpose. “It’s about making sure that we take every opportunity to build that common space, that common understanding.”

She also emphasizes cross-country collaboration when possible — sending engineers from Australia or India to support launches in other markets. These moments reinforce something critical: they are not isolated operators. They are part of something bigger.

#4: Standardization Should Unify Purpose, Not Stifle Innovation

Global standardization remains a tension point in many organizations. Madhu believes in it — but selectively. “We consider absolute standardization as absolute efficiency… while that sounds right theoretically, that’s not how the real world works.”

Her philosophy is clear: “You still need the what. You still absolutely want standardization… but weeding out the things that don’t need to be standardized and can be left up to the best way that a team wants to accomplish that — that’s been a very big part of our journey.”

This balance preserves accountability while enabling autonomy — something increasingly critical in today’s talent landscape.

As global organizations mature, the tension between centralization and regional nuance will only intensify. Leaders like Madhu demonstrate that success doesn’t come from control — it comes from cultural intelligence, strategic representation, and intentional connection.

These are just a few of the insights Madhu shared; listen to the full conversation here.

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Field Technicians: To Sell or Not to Sell?

February 9, 2026 | 4 Mins Read

Field Technicians: To Sell or Not to Sell?

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Last week, Future of Field Service and Simon-Kucher co-hosted a leadership summit in NYC based on the research we recently partnered on. The research explores what commercial excellence in field service looks like, where the biggest opportunities for service growth lie, and what challenges exist in realizing service’s full potential.

We had about 15 leaders in attendance, representing various industries, and the conversation flowed easily. So much so, in fact, that it demanded our agenda become quite fluid (which is the best sign of a good engagement!). One of the discussions that surfaced that I found most interesting was around how various organizations approach the field technician/engineer’s role in selling.

This topic surfaced while reviewing a section of the research that explores the opportunity that exists to improve and expand value selling in field service. Various leaders spoke up about whether field technicians take part in sales for their businesses, whether they feel their current approach is working well (or not), and what they’d most like to improve.

Selecting a Service Sales Structure that Aligns to Your Strategic Objectives

Without divulging any specifics, here are some of the scenarios that were presented by those in attendance:

  • Field technicians as sales accelerators/enablers. To varying extents, some organizations are encouraging and incentivizing technicians to actively but indirectly take part in the sales process. One example is incentivizing service techs to look for sales opportunities and formally document those within a lead generation process or to hand off directly to sales. Another organization pairs service and sales to work as a team, forcing closer collaboration to increase the likelihood that sales can appropriately capitalize on opportunities identified through the tech’s knowledge and expertise.
  • Field technicians as trusted advisors. Some organizations prefer to keep a clear delineation between the service and sales functions. In these instances, they feel doing so helps preserve the perception of the field technician as a trusted advisor and protect their ability to act as such. This structure is also used where friction exists between sales and service to where any direct involvement in sales by the service function could be seen as “stepping on toes.” One organization uses a CSR role to act as the intermediary between service and sales and to keep focus on the customer experience.
  • Field technicians as direct sellers. Other organizations are more actively prompting their field technicians to sell, equipping them with what’s needed to not only make suggestions while engaged with a customer but to provide quotes and even close business. This seems to work best in organizations where service is already well understood and respected as part of the overall value proposition and revenue engine.

Compensation, Management, and Training are Key in Enabling Field Service Sales Success

Regardless of how an organization approaches the field technicians’ role in the sales process, some other important points surfaced throughout the discussion that provided good food for thought. The first is that, whether you want to encourage technicians to identify, participate in, or own sales opportunities, how you incentivize them through compensation is crucial.

“Technicians are coin-operated,” one leader joked. But all seemed to agree that compensation is a key lever to drive the desired behavior. That said, numerous leaders shared that it’s less about offering a huge monetary amount as it is putting in place the lever to keep sales in focus and motivate technicians to take part. Some companies offer more sizeable commission structures, sometimes shared with sales, while others provide more of a nominal bonus per opportunity uncovered.

One point that seemed to be quite important is that often organizations focus on how to drive behavior among the frontline but fail to consider how to incentivize frontline managers. This can be a significant missed opportunity as those individuals will spend the most hands-on time driving behavior.

Finally, if you’re looking to grow sales through the frontline – whether directly or indirectly – you should reflect on whether you are properly enabling what you’re asking not only through incentives but through training. If you’re expecting field technicians to play any role in selling, they should receive training so they are informed and effective.

Conclusion

As I mentioned at the beginning, this conversation was a relatively small sidebar in a larger discussion about value selling. Which means the role your field force plays in selling is a microcosm of the role service represents in your customer value proposition. For most businesses, there’s a sizeable opportunity for evolution and growth here. This opportunity is being compounded by both customer expectations and technological development. I anticipate that how businesses market, sell, and deliver service will change more significantly in the next 3-5 years than it has in the last decade. While there’s no one right approach to selling service, it’s an area that deserves and demands more strategic focus than it ever has. So, my advice is to push for that within your company, stay curious and continue to seek inspiration beyond your own industry, and focus on the art of what’s possible rather than upholding what’s always been.

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You Know What Your Field Technicians Are Doing, But Do You Know How They’re Doing?

February 2, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

You Know What Your Field Technicians Are Doing, But Do You Know How They’re Doing?

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

If you’ve followed Future of Field Service for any length of time, you know that I don’t see my primary role as content creation but to look for every opportunity to nurture the power of community. One such opportunity is bringing together our Stand Out 50 leaders on a virtual session every couple of months. This gives them a chance not only to network, but to ask for advice on different topics and to draw on the experiences of the larger group in a way that can expand thinking and spark lightbulb moments.

For our January session, one leader asked if we could focus the conversation on field force wellbeing – and I gladly obliged. The leader who requested the session kicked us off by sharing a bit about the work his company has done in recent years to better understand and improve field force engagement, and how that work has led to a current focus on wellbeing. The topic sparked a lively discussion and resulted in multiple messages after expressing gratitude for prompting thought on a topic that doesn’t get enough attention.

While these sessions are always confidential, there was plenty of insight that came out of the discussion that I can share anonymously – because this is a topic that warrants more discussion, more attention, and more action.

Why Field Force Wellbeing Matters

People leaders understand there are many reasons to care about employee wellbeing. From a business perspective, it’s proven that healthy, engaged employees do their best work, are more resilient to change, are more likely to stay in role, and provide better customer experiences.

While wellbeing matters for any employee, there are unique challenges and stressors for the field force that make it particularly important to consider. These characteristics also mean that many overarching employee wellness programs are insufficient (at best) for the field. Field technicians contend with frequent travel, feeling disconnected from the company, experiencing isolation, high stress and frustrated customers, and much more.

These factors can contribute to instances of mental ill health and, in extreme situations, suicide. Further, many leaders feel limited in how to support the field force. This can stem from lacking the knowledge of how best to approach wellbeing topics, realizing broader employee initiatives don’t translate well to field technicians, and/or being caught between what would help employees in need and what the business demands.

Pulse Check: Leaders Share the Current State of Wellbeing Focus in Their Organizations

We anchored our recent Stand Out 50 discussion with some live benchmarking. Here’s an overview of how leaders weighed in:

Question 1: Do you have a specific mental wellbeing or wellbeing program in place?

  • Yes – 64%
  • No – 36%

Question 2: Do you have a way to measure hot spots of stress in your teams?

  • Yes – 45%
  • No – 55%

Question 3: Do you offer temporary work alternatives to mitigate the stress for engineers facing wellbeing challenges?

  • Yes – 70%
  • No – 30%

Question 4: Are your HR/health & safety teams engaged with your field force?

  • Yes – 100%

Question 5: Are you tracking mental ill health cases?

  • Yes – 78%
  • No – 22%

Question 6: What do you feel is the biggest wellbeing risk to your engineers?

  1. Stress & burnout – 91%
  2. Fatigue – 81%
  3. Physical wellbeing (sleep/diet & exercise) – 80%
  4. Physical pain (muscle/body/skeletal issues) – 73%
  5. Loneliness/social isolation – 52%
  6. Relationship issues/time away from home – 48%
  7. Mental wellbeing – 44%
  8. Substance abuse/alcohol – 33%
  9. Gambling/addictive behavior – 22%

Considerations for How Best to Assess & Approach Field Force Wellbeing

Wellbeing should be part of a holistic focus on employee engagement. One leader shared the six areas of engagement their company focuses on for field technicians:

  1. Ensuring employees are well-managed; strong leadership is crucial, especially for field technicians that are often all or mostly remote
  2. Making field technicians feel part of the company – make sure they see how their role connects to the company’s purpose
  3. Put tools, processes, and practices in place that help field technicians feel well supported in their work
  4. Create a positive work culture for field technicians that sometimes can feel closer to customers’ cultures than their own company’s
  5. Offer a clear and fair development and career path
  6. Ensure field technicians are adequately recognized

These six areas were developed from an initiative to understand field technician sentiment, including what they enjoyed about their roles, what they felt proud of, what their biggest challenges were, what they disliked, and what contributed most to frustration and stress. When considering how best to approach field technician engagement and wellbeing, it’s important to start with a strong plan for assessment.

The following best practices were discussed in our recent session:

  • Surveys can be effective, but not if they’re the only measure of assessment
  • In-person workshops are very helpful to add anecdotal perspective to survey results, and to build trust by showing the quest is genuine
  • It’s important to understand root cause and, for global operations, to consider how cultural factors will surface in findings (and requirements)
  • Findings should be grouped and prioritized, this prioritization should be shared with field technicians – including an explanation for what input cannot be addressed and why
  • It’s important to remember that imperfect communication is better than none

One area our conversation centered around is the fact that to make any real impact around wellbeing, efforts must combine both programmatic efforts and individual attention. Meaning, company-wide processes and resources and important, but without strong individual leadership, often won’t make a markable difference in wellbeing.

For many service organizations, who have leaders that have progressed through the ranks, this likely means that training and development will play an important role in improving wellbeing. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence, an up-to-date understanding of how to approach wellbeing topics, and clarity around effective communication are crucial to supporting frontline employees. Company-wide awareness, resources, and support alongside leaders well-equipped to navigate individual team member relationships is the winning formula.

Leaders discussed examining the contributing factors to field technician wellbeing and engagement based on the following categories:

  1. Systemic factors – are there organizational or structural issues contributing to challenges that need to be addressed?
  2. Role-related risks – are there ways to better address some of the factors known to effect field technician wellbeing?
  3. Leadership support – are there ways we can better equip leaders to identify, support, and escalate issues before they become critical?
  4. Communication effectiveness – is there help in place that simply isn’t being adequately communicated to field teams?

Getting Creative Around Improving Field Force Wellbeing

In a world that can feel quite heavy and with a talent landscape consisting of multiple generations with differing needs, many may find it time to get a bit more creative about how to improve wellbeing. Surface-level statements and company EAP offers don’t fit the needs of today, so as you understand what challenges exist among your workforce, I encourage you to think beyond what’s always been done in how to address them.

With increasing use of remote capabilities and AI, companies should be able to offer greater flexibility than they have in the past. This may help alleviate some of the stress of travel while maintaining customer expectations. Leaders agreed that finding new and better solutions for how to offer field teams greater work/life balance is important.

They also shared examples of some different tools being offered to help assist wellbeing efforts. One leader said they’ve begun offering a paid subscription to the Calm app to every employee, another talked about a tool in use to assess mood (similar to that developed by Rob Stephenson, who was on the podcast to discuss mental wellbeing a while back).

While challenges may demand greater creativity, it starts with listening to what those challenges are and really understanding how your workforce feels and what they need more (or less) of. If you have any input on how you’ve worked to better understand or address field force wellbeing, I’d love to hear from you!

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A Masterclass in Articulating AI's Role in Field Service 

January 26, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

A Masterclass in Articulating AI's Role in Field Service 

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by Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

On January 14th I listened to a TSIA webinar where Roy Dockery talked through his State of Field Services 2026 report. I won’t give it all away in this article, because it is well worth your time to both watch the recording and read through the report – but let me just say, I took enough notes to fill pages!

Many of you likely know Roy; he’s a military veteran turned service leader who has written a book on leadership and is currently the Sr. Director of Support Services and Field Services Research at TSIA. So, his perspective is well-rounded but grounded in real-world experience. He’s been a guest on the podcast many times, acted as a judge for the 2025 Stand Out 50 Leadership Awards, and most importantly has become a friend.

With such a well-respected voice speaking on the State of Service I expected some words of wisdom – but didn’t anticipate what was a true masterclass for field service leaders in how to consider, position, and articulate not only the role AI will play in the future of service – but how businesses must adapt.

Here I’m sharing a few points that stuck in my mind – not because they were entirely new to me, but because I hadn’t heard them described with such clarity.  Again, I urge you to go have a listen to Roy share this perspective firsthand and take your own pages of notes. There’s an urgency to move into this next era of service, and I found Roy’s way of articulating both the opportunities and risks very helpful – I’m sure you will, too.

AI Has the Potential to Restore the Humanity of Service

With much debate about the way AI will impact human jobs, causing ample anxiety, Roy’s explanation about how AI has the potential to restore humanity in service one leaders should be amplifying within their organizations. Roy said, “There’s a lot of noise about AI replacing jobs – in field service, AI will not replace techs; it will augment them. It isn’t about devaluing the human; it’s about making the human more of a hero.”

This perspective is born of a few factors – the challenging talent landscape you’re all too familiar with, the ability for AI to truly transform how knowledge is captured and democratized, but also how AI can lighten the load that digital transformation itself put onto technician’s shoulders.

Roy explains that when field service organizations began embracing digital transformation, it resulted in a multiplication of administrative expectations from technicians. “We need to stop treating our experts like commodities and start treating them like the strategic assets they actually are – technicians are burnt out because we’ve saddled them with all of these administrative duties in addition to demanding their expertise,” says Roy.

(I had an interesting conversation on the podcast with Faisal Hoque on how to unlock AI potential while protecting the human experience if you’re interested in more.)

This issue is compounded by the fact that most service organizations are still focused on transactional business models, forcing them to hyperfocus on utilization in ways that can cause angst for field technicians. And the point is, AI presents a possible solution to this challenge – alleviating low-value tasks and freeing up capacity for high-impact work while paving the way for new customer experiences. Which leads us to the next crucial point: evolving the business model.

Adapt Your Value Proposition, Or Be Left Behind

Roy goes on to discuss why focusing on utilization will fail companies in the AI era. As he says, “This is the fear many of you have – AI destroys your revenue foundation if it is built on truck rolls.” While many may gulp or sigh reading that, it is imperative to digest.

With the potential AI brings to work smarter and the ways customer expectations have evolved based on what they see is possible in consumer experiences every day, it’s (past) time to adapt. Today and into the future, more money will not come from more billable hours – it will come from more value delivered.

“As organizations, many of us have focused on time and material or cost-plus-margin; it’s been difficult to get to outcomes,” says Roy. “But in the way expectations are evolving, and with what AI makes possible, we have to adjust or be left behind. If your money only comes from billable time, and now we only roll a truck for the most complex problems, you have an issue.”

The AI era brings with it more opportunity for remote resolution and self-service, as well as insights that ensure when an on-site visit is required the technician arrives knowing what needs to be done and is prepared. All capabilities that allow for smarter work and no excuse not to offer measurable value, deeming transactional business models far less appealing, if not irrelevant altogether.

“We have to shift from just trying to keep people busy (utilization) to absorption – value delivered relative to the cost of that technician,” urges Roy. To his point, this can include on-site work when necessary or done preventatively, but it also encompasses remote work, training, providing insights, customer engagement, and more. The focus shifts from keeping employees busy to empowering them to deliver value customers feel warrants more revenue than the time and materials model.

(You can listen to an example of how ABB is approaching this in a podcast on its use of AR and AI to modernize field service and evolve the customer experience.)

We’ve talked about the shift of service from a cost center to profit center, but Roy rightfully points out how that framing is too narrow – we shouldn’t settle for delivering profits but shift to viewing service as a strategic revenue driver.  

Think Bigger Than Operational Excellence

What will keep companies from leveraging AI in ways that make their field technicians heroes and positions service as a strategic revenue driver? Falling into the default thinking that technology is (only) an enabler of operational excellence.

AI is far more than an enabler; it’s an amplifier. One IFS customer I interviewed recently about their use of agentic AI described it as their “force multiplier” – and that is the view more organizations need to take. Less “how can we improve efficiency” and more “how do we reimagine what’s possible?”

In his webinar, Roy pointed to numerous examples – one of the most significant is around knowledge transfer. “We need to use AI to digitize the brain of senior and retiring techs – to productize the expertise that already exists within our teams in a way that allows a new hire to be effective in weeks or months versus months or years,” he says. “It isn’t just about making troubleshooting less complex – it’s about equipping a new talent pool to show up with the confidence of 20+ years of experience.”

(Makino shares a great example of how they’re approaching this in this article.)

Businesses need to look for the opportunities to eliminate friction and remove any administrative, repetitive, low-value tasks possible. “We’re too short on talent to have techs dealing with friction. Agentic AI should handle the tirage; humans should handle complex issues that require empathy – this restores the dignity of the role,” says Roy. “We can strip away data entry, robotic tasks, techs managing schedules, and mindless fixes and liberate our technicians to focus on how they engage with customers.”

Not only should AI bear the burden of tasks like looking up documentation, recording time, after call notes and summaries, etc. – but it helps to enhance decision making and empower technicians that may be skilled but not as experienced.

Further, it ushers in far more expansive capabilities to provide valuable insights to customers – contributing the point above about expanded value propositions. With data at their fingertips, field technicians are able to provide coaching, as well as offer suggestions on better use of assets, further capabilities, and even more easily and naturally partake in lead generation.

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ICYMI: The Top 10 Podcasts of 2025

January 19, 2026 | 9 Mins Read

ICYMI: The Top 10 Podcasts of 2025

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by Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

We have some exciting podcast news coming soon, but before that comes let’s be sure you’ve seen the Top 10 episodes of 2025! In late December I revealed these on the podcast, but I realize those episodes came out during the busy holiday season and not everyone may have had an opportunity to listen. Further, I know not everyone is a die-hard podcast fan – but these 10 are well worth diving into (and if you do, maybe you’ll become a regular).

#10: Using AI to Unlock Potential While Protecting the Human Experience (Episode 313)

This episode with Faisal Hoque, serial entrepreneur, business strategist, and best-selling author, explored the delicate balance between AI advancement and human potential. We spoke about everything from distinguishing consumer AI from enterprise initiatives to understanding the concept of regenerative leadership and how organizations can harness AI's power while preserving what makes us uniquely human. Favorite quote from the episode: “That's why we introduce this divergent framework

called open and care. You have to be radically open to possibilities because there's so much good that we can do with this set of technologies. You have to learn how to identify opportunity and then create a portfolio of opportunities. But then also, you have to be catastrophically focused on risk, and that's why you introduce care.”

Listen to episode 313

-

#9: An Inside Look at ACCO’s Strategic Big Bets to Win the Talent War (Episode 309)

This episode with Michael Potts, who at the time was EVP at ACCO Engineered Systems, explores ACCO's strategic big bets in talent acquisition and retention. Michael spoke about everything from prioritizing cultural fit over quick hires to embracing disruptive change and investing in emotional intelligence training. This is a great episode whether you're struggling with recruitment challenges or looking to build a more resilient service culture.

Michael gives plenty of food for thought and some really strong examples of how challenging the status quo is often the best strategy for long term success and investing in emotional intelligence training. This is a great episode whether you're struggling with recruitment challenges or looking to build a more resilient service culture. Michael gives plenty of food for thought and some really strong examples of how challenging the status quo is often the best strategy for long term success.

Favorite quote from the episode: “When I started down this emotional intelligence path, my perception was I'm going to learn tools to figure out how I communicate with you better. What I found was it's not an external opportunity to look externally and figure out how the person sitting across the desk from you is reacting. It's really your behavior and how you react to situations around you that was eye opening to me.”

Listen to episode 309

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#8: Move Over Bob: A New Narrative to Reinvigorate & Diversify the Trades (Episode 331)

In this episode, Kate Glantz, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Move Over Bob, shares her mission to revolutionize the trades through innovative media. She explains how the approach of Move Over Bob is filling a crucial gap when it comes to working to diversify the trades with its fresh approach, engaging content that stands out, and focuses on both informing and empowering specifically young women. I absolutely loved Kate's story and love her mission.

Favorite quote from the episode: “We have a workforce that's retiring from construction, skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, and a lot of different roles that require not necessarily college, but a lot of expertise in a trade and specialty. So we're not going to be able to meet the demands of today, let alone what's going to happen in about five years when over 40% of the construction labor workforce retires. If you sort of have your finger on the pulse, you're hearing faint alarm bells. It's not being talked about in mainstream culture. And I always joke, we're ten minutes from the zeitgeist. This is going to be an all hands on deck conversation and issue, but there's really no impact that can be made fast enough if we're not playing in culture.”

Listen to episode 331

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#7: 5 Best Practices for Building Your Business Case for Service Improvement (Episode 334)

In this episode, Carrie Toth, VP of Customer Experience at Generac Power System Systems, calls on years of experience across different industries and different organizations to curate these five essential best practices for securing service investment. She touches on everything from assessing organizational dynamics and building relevance to smart storytelling and maintaining agility and really gives good practical strategies for service leaders who are

looking to build their relevance, get more buy in and more investment, and drive transformation and building relevance to smart storytelling and maintaining agility and really gives good practical strategies for service leaders who are looking to build their relevance, get more buy in and more investment, and drive transformation.

Favorite quote from this episode was when Carrie shared about her own feelings of imposter syndrome: “I never feel like the smartest person in the room. I sometimes feel like, gosh, I don't know how I got here. I don't belong or I don't know what they're talking about. That's not unique to being an intern or a first-time manager or even being a vice president for the first time. And we've got to be vulnerable and encourage everyone to find those mentors and allies and support systems that will allow us to take those risks but do it in a cautious way and help nurture growth.”

Listen to episode 334

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#6: How Lean Methodology is Guiding Service Transformation at Diebold Nixdorf (Episode 326)

In this episode, Brian Gallipeau, SVP of Service for the Americas at Diebold Nixdorf, shares how lean methodology is transforming service operations in a global organization. He gives practical insights on implementing lean principles through ride alongs, Kaizen events, and video training. But the episode dives into so much beyond lean including the cultural implications of big transformations and major change, the importance of leadership and building trust, taking accountability, and

taking action on feedback. Favorite quote from the episode: “Pretty much everyone who's in a management position at DN does a ride along with a technician. It doesn't matter whether in you're in procurement or HR. It doesn't matter what the role is. You need to be out there and actually feel what the technicians feel on a day-to-day basis because, again, this is what our business is. And if you don't understand, you can't make intelligent decisions about what we're doing.”

Listen to episode 326

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#5: Authoritarian Leadership is Out: Why (and How) to Embrace the Power of Mattering (Episode 341)

In this episode, I'm joined by Zach Mercurio, a researcher with a PhD in organizational learning, performance, and change, a leadership development facilitator specializing in purposeful leadership mattering and meaningful work, and author of The Power of Mattering. Zach sheds light in this episode on why command and control leadership is fundamentally incompatible with the innovation and loyalty leaders claim to want today and instead offers his

perspective on what actually works. Favorite quote from the episode: “If you want someone to contribute, they first have to believe they're worthy of contributing. If you want someone to share their voice, they first have to believe their voice is significant. If you want someone to use their strengths, they first have to believe that they have them. If you want something to matter to someone, they first have to believe that they matter. If you want someone to care, they first have to feel cared for. So, it's really the prerequisite to motivation, performance, and productivity. A lot of times, we've thought that people needed to add value to be valued, but psychologically, biologically, it is the opposite. People need to feel valued to add value.

Listen to episode 341

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#4: The Untold Truths of Service Leadership (Episodes 329 and 337)

A bit of a cheat because this is really two episodes, but I couldn’t resist. Gyner Ozgul, CEO of Fortis Fire and Safety, offers a deep dive into some of the truths most leaders encounter, but few are willing to talk about out loud. In part one, we focus on business realities leaders must navigate and in part two we discuss the more personal side.

Favorite quote from these episodes: “Your experience does not validate your level of rightness. Your experience shouldn't be weaponized in an organization or for you as a leader.

That's not what it's for. It's for you to enable outcomes, for you to, in your organization, drive success with your teams. It is not a weapon.”

Listen to Episode 329
Listen to episode 337

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#3: How Unisys is Differentiating Through Experience Management (Episode 330)

In this episode, Patrycja Sobera, SVP and General Manager of Digital Workplace Solutions at Unisys, outlines the how the company has transformed service delivery through their XMO (experience management office). They have evolved from traditional SLAs to experience focused metrics are delivering powerful experiences using a combination of proactive automation and human touch. In this episode, Patrycja dispels myths about experience management, shares practical advice and lessons learned, and relays a keen prespective on how the future

of service hinges more on the creation and measurement of valuable experiences. But my favorite quote from this episode was when we discussed motherhood: “Sometimes we don't do all the homework, and sometimes we have McDonald's. Sometimes all of her uniform pieces are not perfectly ironed, and it's okay to be imperfect and focus on what's most important. And you know what? She has a blast. She still loves me the same, if not more. We have a good giggle when we forget something or we don't do homework and, you know, we do it quickly in the car or sneak something outside of the classroom. I would just say, give yourself a break. Focus on what's important. Focus on yourself if you can. Focus on what's important to you. And we talked about the art of purpose. There's no point in trying to be everything for everyone and, you know, a perfect mom.”

Listen to Episode 330

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#2: The High Performance Traits of Stand Out Leaders (Episode 335)

This special episode of UNSCRIPTED, which originally aired when we announced the 2025 Stand Out 50 Leadership Awards, features Jake Humphrey, Co-Host of the acclaimed High Performance podcast and Founder of the Whisper Group. Jake and I talked about the incredible Dame Stephanie Shirley's legacy. we talked about different views on authentic leadership, why being yourself is crucial for sustained success, how optimism builds resilience, why recovery is just as important as achievement, and so much more. Favorite quote of this episode: “I think in many ways, leadership is changing.

Favorite quote of this episode: “I think in many ways, leadership is changing. For a long time, leaders felt that they had to be the most important person in the room. And there's a lovely line that I like, which is when you talk to a manager, you get the feeling they are important. When you talk to a leader, you get the feeling that you are important. And I think that is also something for people to take out of today. How much of your time is spent trying to make yourself feel important? How much of your time is spent making other people feel important?”

Listen to episode 335

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#1: How Multivac Cut Technician Turnover in Half (Episode 325)

There is really no more universal challenge among service leaders I speak with than finding and keeping the right talent. In this episode, Dave Sarazen, VP of Customer Service at Multivac, gives the specifics around how the company has reduced technician turnover by 50%. There's no way you do that without some real reflection, change, and hard word, and Dave shares much of that in this conversation. We discuss how they've transformed their approach to recruiting and retention but

also intentional leadership, meaningful recognition, and much more. Favorite quote from this episode:  “We communicate, communicate, communicate. You can never have too much of it. We do one on ones, and we also have a biweekly Teams call with each of the regions and all of the technicians and their leadership. We go through their situations, technical aspects, company updates, and what we're seeing in the field from competitors.”

Listen to episode 325

If you aren’t already a regular listener of UNSCRIPTED, in addition to the website you can find our weekly episodes on Spotify, Apple, and in video form on YouTube.

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January 12, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

What Does the Next Frontier of Field Service Look Like?

January 12, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

What Does the Next Frontier of Field Service Look Like?

Share

by Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

I’ve just wrapped the week at my 7th IFS Sales Kickoff, this time in Dallas, TX. It was the company’s first kickoff in the US, and the event planners struck gold with a location ripe with thematic inspiration. They selected “The Next Frontier;” fitting for the point IFS has arrived at after consecutive years of impressive growth.

Throughout the week, my mind couldn’t help but consider how the theme applies to the world of field service. What created competitive differentiation and guaranteed success just a few years ago is not sufficient for today’s landscape – let alone tomorrows. But what does the next frontier of field service look like?

To some extent, it’s foolish to even attempt to predict the future. But while being confident in exactly what will unfold might not be possible, there are plenty of truths service leaders can bet on. Here are a few that came to mind for me throughout this week.

The "Field" in Field Service Evolves

I don’t believe in a future where there’s no need for true field service, but there is certainly an imperative to get away from field service by default (many companies’ autopilot). To meet both the expectations of today’s customers and the cost pressures service leaders face, there’s no choice but to work smarter.

Thankfully, while there’s no choice, there are plenty of opportunities. So many field service organizations today still have poor utilization, first-time fix rates that need massive improvement, and lack modern options for self-service and remote resolution. Solutions exist to allow you to maximize the impact of your existing workforce; not by wringing the last ounce of productivity out of them in a way that kills the employee experience, but by removing so many layers of inefficiency that you’ve improved it.

In the next frontier, “field” service is still a foundational piece of service, but when and where needed. With a well-informed and prepared and capable technician to fix what’s broken, or as a strategic tool to maintain and expand customer loyalty – the inefficient processes of multiple visits for a repair and scheduled yet unnecessary maintenance trips are simply not fit for today’s needs.

Operational Excellence is the Foundation, Not the Finish Line

This really expands on what I’ve said above, because so many organizations are yet to adopt the capabilities to achieve true operational excellence – let alone embrace what comes next. Companies are still working hard to be able to arrive on time, reduce repeat visits, and incorporate offerings beyond transactional service – not too long ago, these characteristics alone would land you best-in-class. But customer demands have evolved far faster than service organizations. Most industrial businesses are struggling to respond to customer pressure that stems from experiences they’ve become accustomed to in their consumer lives.

To be fair, while they may feel frustrating, these pressures aren’t unfounded. Customers expect more – more communication, more convenience, more knowledge, more value – because they see that it’s possible. Industrial businesses may have much more complexity to navigate to meet these demands, but it is what will be required to maintain advantage – and the more energy you expend making it a reality rather than bemoaning what’s being requested, the more success you’ll find.

What’s required is intelligent use of modern technology combined with an ample focus on people. Reading that, it sure sounds simple – doesn’t it? I realize it’s far from it, particularly in companies with a deep legacy, significant technology debt, or leadership that isn’t adept at navigating change.

The expectations aren’t lessening, though, and the speed of change is only increasing. I fear technology debt – core systems that are ill fit for today’s needs but required so much investment or are so heavily modified they feel impossible to replace – will kill some organizations. AI is inevitably changing the future of work, but it’s nearly impossible to leverage those capabilities in any meaningful way if your core technology is outdated, inflexible, fragmented, really anything less than rock solid.

The Frontline Role is Redefined for the Next Generation of Workforce

Not only has AI changed what the future of work will look like, the talent landscape itself has shifted. We know that today’s talent doesn’t tend to stay put in a role for five, ten, fifteen years like technicians from previous generations were happy to do. We know that today’s talent wants more flexibility, more autonomy, and better work-life balance. We know they want to feel the work they do matters; to feel a part of something.

Yet businesses have been slow to adapt to these new circumstances. Some seem to have entirely ignored what’s changed (while complaining about how hard it’s become to hire and retain), while others have made adjustments that have at times seemed to be more for optics than with meaning. For instance, an organization may have introduced career paths – but fail to adopt the recruiting and hiring practices that support talent that moves through frontline positions more quickly.

Some businesses have truly embraced what’s changed, though – and it’s been heartening to see. Those who are putting more focus on leadership, working to improve diversity, taking the onus to develop talent instead of expecting to be able to hire based on experience, developing (and supporting) career paths, and leveraging technology to not only ease the burden of the frontline role but to offer greater flexibility will absolutely win in this area of the next frontier.

The “People Part” that Makes Service Special Requires Thoughtful Investment

In an era where AI buzz is everywhere, cost pressures are high, and technology is a more crucial differentiator than ever, it’s easier than one would think to lose sight of what matters most – people. With all these moving parts, it’s so important to keep people in focus.

This goes for employees and customers. In my many years in this space, leaders have always reiterated that “service is a people business” – that people are what make service special, the heart of the competitive advantage. My belief is that no matter how much automation is introduced, no matter how many inefficiencies can be removed, no matter how the service value proposition evolves, people will remain at the heart of service.

Yet, if I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on the fact that some organizations are going to become so enamored by the potential cost savings of AI, so distracted by all that’s changing, that they’ll fail to remember what matters most – and they’ll suffer as a result. Don’t let this be you.

Customers want convenience, yes – but they also want character. They want seamlessness, but they also want empathy. They may need fewer on-site visits to accomplish the same or even more, but they will continue to value relationships.

And employees want strong leaders – leaders who show up authentically, who care not only about the work but about how it’s done, who appreciate and recognize their teams and create a sense of belonging.

Maintaining, upholding, and expanding this vital human connection takes intention, thoughtfulness, and investment – not necessarily in big dollars, but in prioritization and of time. The next frontier of field service will bring with it new layers we haven’t yet imagined, but in my opinion, it will also most certainly consist of some of the components that have always mattered most – people first and foremost.

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January 5, 2026 | 4 Mins Read

5 Intentions Service Leaders Should Set for 2026

January 5, 2026 | 4 Mins Read

5 Intentions Service Leaders Should Set for 2026

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by Sarah Nicastro, Creator and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Are you one for New Year’s resolutions? I think they can put a lot of pressure on us to feel we need to re-create ourselves and/or set us up to feel we’ve failed when we don’t succeed at the aggressive goals we set. I am a fan, however, of the process of reflecting and setting intentions.

Taking time to reflect allows us to identify what’s working well that we need to be intentional about continuing and making space for, and to define areas we need to focus more on incorporating or evolving. What keeps intentions manageable, I avoid setting too many at one time, I outline specific actions or practices that will help me make progress on each intention, and I allow for a lot of flexibility.

With that in mind, as I reflect on my many conversations with service leaders in 2025 and think about the New Year ahead, I’ve outlined below five intentions I believe service leaders would benefit from setting for 2026.

#1: Fiercely protect your time to think long-term.

The pace of change today is dizzying, and it’s only getting faster. Leaders who fall prey to the trap of constantly prioritizing daily fires over long-term strategy are destined to fail. How will you address your workforce needs for five, 10 years from today? What’s the next phase of your customer value proposition? Where do you need to invest in technology, training, or new talent to support these business shifts? All these questions and many more are ones you must make time to consider, investigate, and plan to address.

#2: Apply the art of storytelling to evangelize how crucial it is to eliminate technology debt and move thoughtfully into the AI era.

Only 28% of respondents from our soon-to-be released Stand Out Service Trends report said that their field service management platform is fully functional and future ready. Meanwhile, customer expectations continue to heighten based on consumer-centric experiences. A service management platform that’s ripe with inefficiencies, that is cumbersome to scale or change, or that is stitched together with functioning but fragile band-aids is not only a ticking time bomb – it’s preventing you from moving into the AI era in a cohesive, scalable manner.

90% of respondents from our Stand Out Service Trends report agree advanced AI will be critical to compete long-term. I cringe thinking about what will happen to the organizations that are too slow to modernize their core systems so that they can add layers of sophistication and automation that are sustainable and value-centered. Let 2026 be the year you apply the art of storytelling to articulate this need in terms that will resonate with your leadership.

#3: Identify how you can improve your 1-1 relationships with your team.

Nearly every leader I speak to is focused on improving how to attract, recruit, hire, and retain talent. And almost unanimously they agree there’s no substitute (and no shortcuts) to strong relationships with the leader they report to. So, in 2026, consider how you can improve the relationships you have with your team. Maybe you need to invest more time in face-to-face. Maybe you realize you should show appreciation more, or in a different way. Maybe you can own the fact that you need to work on listening more to input and acting on feedback. Whatever your specific opportunity is, find a way you know you could improve your 1-1 relationships and put in the effort – I don’t think you’ll regret it.

#4: Set specific goals for human connection (among employees and with customers).

In our busy, often chaotic, and very technology-driven world, we need to be conscious about maintaining human connection. Consider both your teams and the customers you serve – what goals can you set that are specific yet feel realistic to ensure your employees feel part of a team, a community; and that your customers feel seen, heard, and valued? Leaders I speak with agree that while it can be costly to bring together field teams for team building, it’s very worthwhile in their engagement. From a customer perspective, there’s more need than ever to reflect on the experience you’re providing and how you can keep the “people” focus that makes service special.

#5: Invest in yourself.

Last, but certainly not least, consider how you’ll invest in yourself this year. It could be personal growth or development, wellbeing, or just something to make you happy. It’s so easy to show up and give of ourselves, day after day, and (if you don’t hit a point of burnout) realize another year has flown by. Don’t let 2026 be that year – you deserve better (and what you invest in yourself will pay dividends to those around you). Maybe you’ve wanted to take a course but “haven’t had the time.” Maybe you’ve been curious about meditation. Maybe you would really love to take a walk every day at lunch. Maybe there’s a hobby you long ago left by the wayside and have missed ever since. It could be any number of things but do something for you.  

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December 29, 2025 | 6 Mins Read

My Favorite Moments of 2025

December 29, 2025 | 6 Mins Read

My Favorite Moments of 2025

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

I think last year was the first I compiled an article like this, and I really enjoyed the exercise of reflecting on all that’s happened over twelve months that have often felt like a blur. As 2025 ends, I can think back on a year full of both wins and challenges, laughs and tears, growth and missteps, happiness and hard moments – but more than anything, looking back makes me feel so grateful. To have to get selective about narrowing a “favorite moments” list? What a privilege.

Here I’m sharing my five favorite professional moments and my five favorite personal moments. I feel compelled to share both, because they are interwoven in so many ways. My family supports me in my work; they hear stories of my travels or of the amazing people I get to meet. Many in my professional network are also friends – they know me beyond what I “do,” and my work is a part of who I am.

I hope you also make an opportunity to look back over the last year and reflect on whatever your favorite moments have been. It’s so easy in the day-to-day grind to keep forging ahead, on to the next thing – but there’s a lot of value in reflecting. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite moments of 2025!

5 Professional Highlights

Being named an HDI Top 25 Thought Leader of 2025

I’m not someone who gets caught up on awards and accolades; this was truly unexpected. To be nominated for being “insightful, impactful, unique, and an indispensable voice,” meant so much to me. My goal is always to be of service to my community – to create content, connections, and relationships that are helpful and uplifting.

Delivering a keynote at Field Service Palm Springs with Clinten van der Merwe of TOMRA

This experience had all of the right ingredients to make it a favorite moment of 2025! I truly appreciate Clinten’s perspective and approach to service leadership and was honored to share the stage with him. Field Service Palm Springs (now Next West!) is an event I look forward to every year. And, since this was the last year the event was taking place in Palm Springs, we had to take a last trip to The Nest! #iykyk

IFS Connects + Future of Field Service Meet-Ups in Stockholm (May) and Nashville (June)

While we took 2025 off from our Future of Field Service Live Tour events, I had the opportunity to speak at both IFS Connect Stockholm and Nashville – as well as hosting Future of Field Service gatherings in both cities. It’s always an honor to help customers share their stories at events – in Stockholm, I spoke alongside Markus Basse of Alfa Laval, and in Nashville, I shared the stage with Dan Basile of TOMRA. (Realized in Nashville the venue was about three blocks from Third Man Records, so I took a quick walk over – I’m a huge White Stripes/Jack White fan). In 2026, be on the lookout for the more traditional Future of Field Service events – and check out the schedule for IFS Connects and IFS Unleashed!  

Announcing and celebrating the Future of Field Service Stand Out 50 Leaders of 2025

We saw such a great response in year two of the Stand Out awards! I was so grateful to be joined for judging by Ged Cranny, retired from Konica Minolta; Roy Dockery of TSIA; and Maureen Azzatto of WBR Field Service. We had our work cut out for us in selecting this year’s recipients, but what fulfilling work it is. We announced this year’s Stand Out 50 via livestream from the brand-new studio in the IFS Staines office, which was both nerve-wracking (it’s live – what could go wrong?!) and really fun. That evening, we hosted a group of winners for a celebratory dinner at London’s iconic Shard. Stand Out takes an incredible amount of time, energy, and effort (huge thank you not only to the judges but to Charlotte Notman and Sydney Lofthouse for all their hard work and support!) but it is so, so worth it.

Working on a brand-new platform, Future of Assets

The last “moment” on my list is really a collection of many moments that will culminate in a new thought leadership platform in 2026. Throughout 2025 I’ve been mentoring and working alongside Berend Booms and in the New Year, those efforts will come to life in the form of Future of Assets – a resource modeled after Future of Field Service for leaders responsible for asset management and maintenance operations. I’ve really enjoyed the work we’ve done behind-the-scenes and am excited to see it take shape in 2026 – stay tuned!

5 Personal Highlights

Family trip to Costa Rica

I’ve shared before my love of travel. I grew up in a small town and didn’t step foot on an airplane until I was a junior in college; my dad is 65 and still has never flown. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I simply love to explore and soak in new places, experiences, and cultures. This April we took our sons to Costa Rica, splitting our trip between Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna. Costa Rica is beautiful, and I was very grateful to be able to share the experience with my children – to see their awe watching wildlife, to witness them work through how to interact with a business owner speaking in Spanish, and to try new foods, among other things. My younger son even went zip-lining with my husband!

Prioritizing “me” time during a retreat in May in Santa Fe

Between work travel and family travel, taking a solo trip can feel impossible to fit in and/or selfish. But I’m learning the truth in what they say – that self-care is never selfish. In May, I attended a retreat at MEA in Santa Fe. It was challenging, enlightening, nurturing, and oh-so-needed. I’m proud of myself for not giving in to the inclination to skip over my needs and to invest in my own growth.

My younger son’s first baseball season

With boys only 16 months apart, my younger son sometimes struggles to find his own identity. This Spring he wanted to try baseball for the first time, and he quickly fell in love. It was such a joy to witness! I was so proud of how he stepped out of his comfort zone and poured himself into learning something new – and to see how much he enjoyed the experience filled my heart. He had a fantastic coach – the kind that leave a lasting impact. It was a wonderful experience all the way around.

My older son turning 10

This one is bittersweet for sure. I’m still having a hard time reconciling the fact that my “baby” is ten. I feel like I blinked and he went from Daniel Tiger-loving toddler who refused to give up a binkie to 4’10” sassy sports lover. It tugs at my heart strings realizing how many moments have already become memories, and how quickly the years are flying by. At the same time, he brings such joy to my life and it’s an honor to watch him grow. I’m proud of how he handles having Type 1 diabetes – he sets an example to follow in the power of a positive mindset.

Swimming with otters

This experience was gifted to me for my birthday by my son’s nurse (who is like my second mom). I love otters – I think they are adorable. But the fact that she had not only noted that but found this interactive experience within a few hours of where we live meant so much to me. Not only was it one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve received, it was SO COOL! I had so much fun swimming with these two – Harbor and Cove. An hour of nothing but fun, cuteness, and feeling really loved.

I hope you, too, take the time to look back on 2025 and consider what you’ve achieved, what you’ve learned from the moments that have pushed you, what you’re grateful for, and what you want to focus on creating more of in 2026. Wishing you a wonderful end to 2025 and a happy, healthy start to the New Year!

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