The ML Editor

To maintain the quality and control of a franchise system each franchise Outlet must receive the same training. A franchisor’s job is to make sure that the training is the same, keeps the franchisees efficient and maintains the consistency of the overall franchise system.

It is for this reason that I added a clause in our companies franchise agreements, which addressed general training and ongoing training requirements. Below is a copy of one of the renditions about clause;

4.3.2 General Training

Franchisor may provide ongoing general training on an annual basis to introduce new products, services and equipment, to review sales and marketing practices and to discuss other topics that are relevant to the Services provided by Franchisee. Ongoing general training classes will be held on a regional, national or international basis, as determined by the Franchisor and will typically be two (2) or three (3) calendar day sessions. If Franchisor holds ongoing general training at The Company’s National Convention, Franchisee or the Location Manager is required to attend such training. Attendance requirements at other ongoing general training sessions will be determined by the content of the class.

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Says each franchising Company must address this issue you would be well advised if you run a franchise in Company to contact a franchisee attorney on this subject and figured out a good strategy to keep your training consistent in all your franchise Outlets. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

1. Planning

“Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”. A solid plan should have measurable goals to determine progress and success. It should take into account the current situation and environment, and the plan should be both documented and communicated. Plans should be compared and aligned with a comprehensive strategy.

2. Setting Goals

Goals should be specific, time limited and measurable. Measurements include quantity, capacity, percentage, monetary, timeliness, completeness, ratings or similar items that can be quantified.

3. Making Decisions

The following are steps to making logical and informed decisions: Define the problem. Measure the problem or situation, gather as much information as necessary. Analyze the information that you have gathered, not the problem. Analyzing the information often leads to discoveries or perspectives of root cause issues that may have been previously overlooked by concentration on the results of the problem, so be sure to focus on the facts of the information. Implement solutions that are targeted at the root cause of the problem or opportunities. Measure the outcome, compare to the original situation, and created controls to maintain the improved performance or situation.

4. Delegation

Be willing to delegate authority as well as responsibility, obligations or tasks. Delegating authority empowers individuals who are closer to the activity to respond with more informed and more timely action. You are surrounded by talented individuals, give them the chance to perform. Maintain a constant and consistent balance between Authority, Accountability and Responsibility.

5. Support

Perhaps one of the most important characteristics of leadership is the willingness and ability to provide support for your people. You can demonstrate support by being an advocate for their ideas, be compassionate and patient, contribute with your own time, and reinforce that what they do is important to the overall success of the organization.

6. Communication

Communication is not only speaking, it is listening. Use Active Listening Skills to enhance your communication, assure good comprehension and demonstrate the value of the message. When it is time to speak, be precise and clear in your communications. Explain fully to eliminate ambiguity in instructions. In meetings, keep speeches to fifteen minutes or less. Try to keep all meetings under thirty minutes by maintaining subject focused communication and require information preparation in advance.

7. Control

If you have a plan, stick to it. Apply daily diligence according to plan, use measurements to assure progress, and keep control when the plan has been implemented.

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Words of Wisdom

“Communication is most effective when it translates a complex idea in a simple way.”
- Mark Jarvis, Senior Vice President, Oracle

“If people have better information, they make better decisions - period.”
- Suzanne Muchin, CEO, Civitas

“Every Leader needs to clearly explain the top three things the organization is working on. If you can’t, you are not leading well.”
- Jeffrey Immelt, chairman and CEO, General Electric

About the Author:

John Mehrmann is an authority on emotional intelligence, talent management and organizational development. He is a consultant, coach and trainer with Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. His materials are available from http://www.InstituteForAdvancedLeadership.com.

http://www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, educational articles and references to local affiliates for consulting and executive coaching.

For many people, life zooms past once they reach their working age. Everyday, it’s the same flash routine of waking up, going to work, coming back from work, and sleeping. It’s no wonder why you’ll ask yourself, “How did I get old so fast? Where did all the time go?”

The problem is in the routine work. The human mind has this habit called deletion. Anything that keeps repeating, memory does not record, simply because it’s not worth taking notice of.

So how can we slow down our experience of time and not let our lives slip by in a flash?

The answer lies in developing mindfulness — a heightened state of awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. But if you can’t do that yet, you can start off by practicing the 3 Magic Bedtime Questions.

As you lie in bed at night, ask and answer these three questions before you fall asleep:

1. What is one thing I am grateful for today?
2. What do I look forward to tomorrow?
3. What would I like to dream about tonight?

Why do I call these simple questions magical? Well, let me tell you the logic behind them. The first question requires you to think through your day to find something you’re grateful for. As you do that, not only will you find something to be grateful for, you will also have recalled your entire day. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming, we call this recapping experience. Imagine putting your daily experience into a bottle, putting a cap on it, and labelling it, “The day I met Jenny”. Having many of these bottles in your mind, sorts your memories into significant experiences, rather than having them as one large clump called, “My Working Years — 20 to 50 years old”.

The second question requires you to look forward in time and imagine what’s going to happen tomorrow. When you have something to look forward to, it creates a natural anticipation and drive. You will feel motivated the moment you wake up. It will be the first thing that pops into your mind.

The third question reveals your innermost desires because we naturally choose to dream about what we want and wish for. This clarifies our direction and purpose.

Perform the 3 Magic Bedtime Questions nightly, and time will slow down. You will remember more about your life, and have greater clarity of mind to do what counts, before your time runs out.

I also recommend reading ‘Mindfulness In Plain English’, by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. In clear language, he shows you how to develop Mindfulness, through the practice of Vipassana Meditation. An insightful and well-written book.

Lance Ong is a certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Master Practitioner of Hypnotherapy and Timeline Therapy. He does life coaching to help clients gain clarity of purpose, while removing mental blocks to success. Learn Lance’s philosophy for better living at his Internet Blog Site - “Wisdom to Create a Beautiful World” - www.Lancism.com. If you have any questions, you can e-mail Lance at: mailto:truth@lancism.com

Traditional leadership

Traditional leadership styles from the 19th and 20th Centuries tended to involve strict hierarchies, superiority, winners and losers. To lead, people felt the need to prove they are better than everyone else. Leadership was about “power” and its abuse, loneliness and affectations. In the latter part of the 20th Century, there was a gradual decline in hierarchies which is evermore the case in the first decade of the 21st Century.

So how does this impact business? What does it suggest about leadership and success in the twenty first Century? Facets of leadership in the 21st Century. From our experience, successful businesses (be they high quality start-ups or companies looking for rapid growth), recognise new values essential to their success. It is “out with the old” and in with:

“flat structures”;

inclusive management style that involves all people in the organisation, not just senior management;
openness and transparency;
genuinely equal opportunities, regardless of race, ethnic origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities etc.;
empowering - i.e. committed to empowering each and every member of the team.
Enlightened leadership

21st Century leadership is not about bullying and high-handedness or even intellectual or financial superiority. It is about playing to strengths, working around or minimising weaknesses, authenticity and not being fazed by challenges. Above all, it is about being straight in communications both internally and externally.

Powerful language

The new style is about “can-do” mentality and about avoiding disempowering language. Words such as “I’ll try to” or “I need you to…” and other indirect language undermine the communication: “trying” to do anything is preparing for failure, not taking personal responsibility for causing something to happen. Using language that suggests there is another reason for why someone should do something rather than simply that you want them to do it makes people look weak so, “needing” someone to do something is in fact rarely authentic - and should normally be replaced by “I want you to do X please” or some equivalent straight communication.

“Walking the talk”

Last but not least, leadership in the 21st Century is about “walking the talk” of the organisation. However, the organisation first needs to be clear about what it is “talking” about before it can walk it and then it needs to make sure that it is consistent in everything it does: this is anything from internal relations (with colleagues) through to external relations with customers, suppliers and the public at law.

Making it “real”

We believe that law is the “glue” of society, the structure behind relationships that either has them work or not. A leader has to make sure that all of his/her relationships work. Where the relationships are recognised as being important to the organisation (and we cannot conceive of an organisation where they are not), special attention needs to be paid to making sure that all documented relationships are consistent with the values of the organisation and the style of leadership. Are your communications straight, open, honest and fair? When did you last look at your employment contracts, shareholder’s agreements, terms of business, web site terms, partnering agreements and purchase contracts? Are they consistent with who you say you are?

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Kaltons Solicitors