Many franchisors and franchisees have struggled with how to make the best decisions possible, and then have the greatest support for the answer that is decided upon. Out of this struggle one solution seems to be voiced more and more. COMMUNICATE!

Every person has the right answer. Just ask them…No, not that guy, ask the other one! No, not him…the one next to him!

Have you ever noticed how many different opinions there are within even a small group of people? Perhaps even more amazing is the fervor and passion that many of these people attach to their opinions.

As we all know, whether it’s horse racing or politics, different people will analyze the same information and come up with completely different sets of correct answers and “truths”. This can be fun when it comes to a sporting event, and passion evoking when it comes to politics. However, when it comes to business, too many opinions can be a problem if they’re not ultimately followed by a unified decision.

The simple reality is that in every business, sooner or later, someone has to make a decision, and the rest of us have to follow it. You’ve heard the clichés… “A body can only have one head”, or “a ship can only have one captain,” and you know the validity in the sentiment. We even agree with it. After all, a ship with no captain may be doomed to steam in circles, or worse yet, run aground or sink.

No one wants that to happen. Least of all you. You’re too sensible for that. You want to be part of a decisive organization that can move efficiently, and decisively to overcome market pressures and the competition.

Well, you do most of the time, right? But sometimes you know better than them, don’t you? I’m not talking about the times when you thought you were right, and turned out not to be. I’m talking about the times when they got it wrong, and you got it right. Why didn’t they listen to you? Good question!

The problem is that being right isn’t always the most important thing to be. No individual, no company, and certainly no franchisor is infallible. Some decisions, no matter how well reasoned, turn out to be wrong, or less effective than another options would have proven to be. It’s human. It’s normal. It’s inevitable.

Many franchisors and franchisees have struggled with how to make the best decisions possible, and then have the greatest support for the answer that is decided upon. Out of this struggle one solution seems to be voiced more and more. COMMUNICATE!

Today, franchisors and franchisees are living in an “enlightened age”, where an ever-increasing number of franchisors recognize and value the ideas, participation, and insights that come from their franchisees.

Formal and informal franchise forums and advisory councils are becoming increasingly more common. Some councils focus mostly on regional or marketing issues that affect them, while other councils convene to discuss virtually every issue that touches their business. These councils not only foster ideas, many have significant decision-making clout within their franchise system.

Many franchisors will tell you that they view their franchisees as indispensable resources and as partners in success! Communication seems to be breaking out everywhere!

Why is there such an increased focus on better communication and idea sharing? There are several reasons:

First, franchisees are often very smart, accomplished business people in their own right. Many franchisees have decades of corporate know how and experience under their belts, and see both the problems, and also possible solutions to those problems. Smart franchisors recognize the benefits that can accrue from having this input from their franchisees.

Second, the franchisees are the eyes and ears of the franchise system. They interact daily with consumers, and they get “real-time” feedback on opportunities, competition, weaknesses and strengths, all of which can be invaluable in terms of staying ahead of the competition.

Third, the franchisor and the franchisees are inextricably bound up in each other’s success. Success for one without success for the other is unlikely to occur and be self-maintaining.

Fourth, it just plain makes sense. When someone feels that their opinion is valued, and that they have input into decision-making, they are more likely to support whatever decision is ultimately decided upon.

There’s no magic here. Better input helps make better decisions possible. We’re not talking about creating a debating society. Chaos helps nobody. But open doors, and two-way streets do. Franchising today is clearly doing a better and better job of keeping those doors open!

Both franchisors and franchisees need to recognize the relative strength and sophistication of each other.

It’s true that this can be a complex issue. Both franchisors and franchisees need to recognize the relative strength and sophistication of each other. An experienced franchisor may be well advised not to listen to too many ideas from a novice franchisee.

It’s also important to recognize the difference between the franchisees themselves. Some are very experienced, some not so. Some have run multiple units in one or more systems, and others are just feeling their way in their first unit. Experience levels and ideas will clearly be different in each case, and the kind of communication involved with these different levels of franchisee experience and sophistication should be quite different too.

You can’t legislate one single right way and expect it to work for thousands of disparate companies all at different stages of development, serving different markets and industries. Business people know that one size almost never fits all.

So, while communication and idea sharing must be customized to fit each specific franchise, its still one of the great and growing areas that contribute to improving the franchise industry.

More ideas, lead to better solutions, and learning from the people closest to the action can make all the difference in the world. If you don’t think so, and think you have the corner on being right all the time, I would suggest you get into your Edsel, grab a can of “New Coke” and take a long ride and think it over.

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