Solutions for managing your franchise’s managers

A great manager consistently motivate employees and themselves.

Many successful franchise owners got their starts in other industries. Typically, the management skills picked up in previous careers translate smoothly into the quick service and fast casual environment, but many new franchisees still experience a leadership learning curve. One of the challenges faced by new (and old) franchisees is the task of managing managers. Great managers maintain brand values while pushing employees to perform at their best. These tips can help experienced and rookie franchisees to refine their management skills and improve communication with their leadership teams.

Shape leaders with your vision
Managers are tasked with maintaining the tone set by your leadership style. You can get this process off to a fast start by establishing your vision for the business and communicating this strategy to your managers. This dialogue is also an easy opportunity to build the trust of your managers by fielding feedback. Many of your managers may have been in the restaurant business longer than you, so it makes sense to leverage their experience. You will also endear yourself to your leadership team by incorporating their goals into the company vision. Don't expect every employee to invest in your long-term goals. However, challenging staff early on will separate your team players from mediocre managers.

Encourage performance with benchmarks
Remember that part of your job as a franchise owner is to develop your entire staff, and even veteran managers can always stand to learn a few new tricks. Performance benchmarks are also important for keeping managers accountable for their day-to-day operations. Inc recommends franchise owners use objective measures, like budget or rate of return customers, to evaluate a manager's performance. Likewise, keep an eye out for signs that managers are falling short of their benchmarks and address their performance accordingly. Be sure to listen to subordinates when evaluating managers as well. Repeat employee complaints, along with signs of high turnover or declining sales, reflect a manager who is failing to meet his or her benchmarks.

Hold managers to higher standards
Your leadership sets an example for your managers, while the performance of your leadership team sets the tone for employees. You must develop high expectations for store managers if you expect employees to invest in the store's vision. Expect nothing less than managers that come in early, stay late, willingly tackle personnel conflicts and maintain the highest standards of integrity. Furthermore, failure to hold managers to a higher standard of excellence will negatively influence the performance of your employees, warns The Wall Street Journal. Staff will be far less motivated to excel in the first place if members of the management team are allowed to coast. Lastly, act decisively when you recognize the red flags of a manager who is a poor fit for your business. Prioritize the construction of a trustworthy leadership team over the hassles of recruiting and hiring new leadership.

Remember to manager yourself
It can be easy to forget your own leadership flaws when dealing with the strain of managing multiple managers, but self-evaluation is critical. You will be able to better motivate and lead your team as you develop your own leadership style. Always review your own performance before correcting the behavior of a manager, and consider how communicating your own strengths or weaknesses to your manager might inspire their performance. Likewise, more hands-on managers can also evaluate their participation at the store and recognize opportunities to put more trust in the hands of managers. After all, Fast Company warns that leaders can quickly lose respect from their employees if management insists on doing their subordinate's jobs for them.