6 Types of District Managers
There are all kinds of District Managers in the franchise industry, and each leader brings their own personality, strengths, weaknesses, and focus to their job every day. Not only that. They also have a particular way of doing things and executing, as well as a personal style for leading and carrying out their daily work.
As I mentioned before, the District Manager’s job is the most challenging in the franchise industry due to the complexity of overseeing multiple units and teams simultaneously.
With more than 35 years of experience in this industry, and having worked alongside many District Managers—and even being one myself—I’ve come to recognize six personality types among these multi-unit leaders, which I’m going to share in this blog post.
Can you see where your District Managers fall within this classification?
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District Manager Personality Type #1: The People Developer
This is someone who has the amazing ability to look at their teams across all units and levels and identify who has growth potential within the company. Let’s call this personality “Karen”.
- Karen loves people and wants to provide them with opportunities for growth.
It’s actually a very powerful skill because they not only identify who could be the future leaders of your organization but also take the time to develop, coach, train, guide, and mentor them through the process of moving from the bottom level all the way to franchise unit management and beyond.
If you have a “Karen,” it means that every time you need a new Unit Manager or maybe want to promote someone to District Manager, you always ask them if they have a team member ready to take over that position, because chances are they'll say “Yes!”
One downside of this District Manager's personality is that they often lose the leaders they've developed. However, the positive side is that because they focus on developing people, team members are eager to work in their area, knowing their chances of promotion are higher. So, in the end, it's usually a win-win for the company and for the people.
Don’t miss: The 7 Critical Responsibilities of a District Manager
District Manager Personality Type #2: The Moneymaker
The second type of District Manager I have encountered is the moneymakers. Let's call them “Brian”.
- Brian knows exactly what they need to do, how they need to coach, and which move they need to make with their Unit Managers to maximize profitability.
This is a District Manager who is highly motivated by money, and if there's a bonus program in place (which should have if you have District Managers), they will find a way to achieve those bonuses in their district.
And, thanks to this focus and attention, their Unit Managers will also be able to accomplish their own bonuses, which means that you, as a Franchisee, will get your money's worth and the profitability that you want and deserve out of each unit.
However, keep an eye on them to ensure everything is honest and they're not getting close to areas that could become a little murky. Either way, it's great to have a moneymaker-Brian District Manager because they will help you make more money— after all, that’s why you went into business in the first place.
District Manager Personality Type #3: The Execution Excellence
The third District Manager personality that I have seen in the industry does a really great job at execution. Let's call them “Peter”.
- This is a District Manager who knows every standard, every process, and every procedure for both the brand systems and the business systems.
They know exactly what's right and what's wrong, how to do it, and they execute with excellence every day. They also serve as coaches and mentors, ensuring that everyone on their teams has this knowledge, maintains a consistent execution, and performs at their best.
These are the ones who will win awards at the brand audits and who will be recognized by customers for having their stores looking sharp, with excellent customer service, and great products and service.
Obviously, an execution-excellence Peter is amazing because having someone who knows, understands, and is able to execute the brand and the business with excellence will bring you great results.
Don’t miss: Top Reasons Franchise District Managers Fail and How to Fix Them
District Manager Personality Type #4: The Motivator
The motivator, whom we’ll call "Andre," is a District Manager who has earned the love and respect of their team.
- Whatever the District Manager says, goes, and people do it with passion, excellence, and loyalty.
But these feelings are mutual: the team members know they can count on their District Manager, and Andre can also count on them. This means that when there's a need in one unit, they can call or message the team, and 10 people will show up to help.
It also means people will go above and beyond. They are not just going to do their regular jobs and go home; they’re going to be there, they will care, and therefore, deliver their best.
That’s because this motivator is also a team builder. It’s not just about people being loyal to Andre, but being loyal to each other, and to their district and your company as well. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a motivator Andre in your organization?
Keep learning: Is your Team Present, Dependable, or Loyal?
District Manager Personality Type #5: The Prince & Princess of Doom
This type of District Manager is not as good and positive as the ones before. “James”, let’s call them that, is the Prince of Doom because when they show up at the store, everybody is on alert and on their best behavior.
- People act like that because this District Manager walks around the unit finding everything that is wrong.
I know that District Managers are excellent at looking for things that are wrong. But for James in particular, that's all they find! This isn't ideal. They should maintain balance and identify not only what needs fixing but also recognize what is working well.
Otherwise, you'll end up with a demotivated team solely focused on avoiding trouble with their Prince of Doom, James. And chances are they are feared by everyone, disliked by all, and unwelcome in the units.
That is not the type of District Manager you want in your organization because they won’t deliver the results you need, and if they do, it will be through fear rather than motivation and loyalty.
District Manager Personality Type #6: The Swoop, Poop, and Swoop
The sixth type of District Manager is also not very good: the “swoop, poop, and swoop” kind. We're going to call them “Sophia”.
This swoop, poop, and swoop Sophia is a District Manager who doesn't spend much time in their units. They just go over there, say negative things about what's going on, and then leave.
- They literally make no effort to change anything. They just come, dump stuff on the team, and leave. And then they go to the next unit and do the same thing.
Clearly, this type of District Manager is not causing any change, inspiring any employee, or producing any results. That’s why you don’t want them anywhere near your units, because they won’t help you grow your business in any way.
These are the six types of District Managers I've observed and identified, along with their likely impact on the units.
Do you have a people developer Karen, or a money-maker Brian? What about an execution-excellence Peter, or a motivator Andre? Maybe you have all of them, or at least someone who combines all or most of those skills. And hopefully, there are no Prince of Doom James or swoop-poop-swoop Sophia in your organization.
These personalities can also give you an idea of what to look for in the District Managers of your organization. Obviously, the first four are positive characteristics and personalities, but to have a great District Manager, you need someone with a diverse set of skills.
- They should be able to motivate people, but also develop them. They should execute the systems and procedures, and also do a great job with profitability. That's the type of District Manager you want to have.
The best part is that you can develop this diverse set of skills in them. Once you identify what type of District Managers you have, you will be able to define a training plan to help them acquire the skills they are missing so that they can be as effective at their roles as possible.
If you do not have the ability, skills, or knowledge to do that, I would like to invite you to consider LEAD, our Multi-Unit Leadership Certification Program. This is a 10-week program that develops those diverse skills in a District Manager so that you can have the motivators, the people developers, the executioners, the standards, and also the moneymakers.
Go to DistrictManagerTraining.com to learn more about our program and find out when the next class starts. I hope this helps you analyze your District Manager and determine whether you need to provide them with additional knowledge and skills to make them more diverse, capable, and effective in their jobs.
Reflections:
- Which personality are you lacking in your District Manager's team?
- Do your District Managers have all of these critical skills?
- Do you have a training plan for them to gain what they are missing?
- What can you do to change and improve the performance and results of a "Prince of Doom" or a "Scoop-Poop-Swoop" type of District Manager?
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