A Management Mindset – Leading, Not Doing

Building a successful multi-unit operation is difficult for any entrepreneur. Doing it successfully comes down to having the right management mindset, says Rod Bristol, a former franchise executive and financial expert.

He recently wrote about what he says are the 5 critical capabilities that multi-unit franchisees must master in order to be successful.

Here's the third of his 5 competencies:

Leading, not doing (managing the enterprise)

Leading, not doing. An enterprise mindset requires giving up operational responsibility. For the franchisee, this may mean giving up what they do best in exchange for leading, motivating, and coaching, which may not be their strong suit.

One strategy is to assign a spouse to each location, which can work because of the direct, hands-on approach of the couple. However, this is not enterprise management and can cause the marriage to suffer. Further, when they add more locations and run out of family members, things can quickly go sideways.

Enterprise managers must release operational duties to a competent team and focus their energy on hiring, training, monitoring, and coaching. Setting goals for KPIs and allowing the managers to manage is critical. When there are problems (and there will be), remember that putting out fires is not enterprise management. Brainstorming solutions with key team members and coaching up their performance is.