Achieve Consistent Execution in 5 Steps
Feb 20, 2024
One of the things that the franchise world has done successfully is to execute brand systems of product, service, and image consistently across multiple units, multiple states, and even multiple countries. But, that is only one part of the franchise business.
- The other part of franchising has to do with the implementation and execution of the business management systems that franchisees do in their organization every day.
One of the biggest complaints I often hear from franchise owners is that the business is not performing as it should because people don’t do what they are supposed to do. But many times, the team really has no idea of what their franchisees want because they don’t communicate with them, the expectations are not clear, or they do not have the training or the resources to do what they should do.
All of this impacts the operations and the business results. The good news is that you can achieve consistency across your multi-unit organization by following these five steps.
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Step #1: Clear definition of what needs to be executed
Just as you have clarity from the franchisor when you receive the specific processes and procedures of how the product, the service, and the brand image have to be executed, you as a franchisee need to clearly define what you want the employees to do.
The franchisor won’t give you that. You have to create those systems and make sure that every employee, the front line, and the management staff have a precise understanding of what are the expectations, the standards, and the organization’s goals. And, ideally, the step-by-step details on how to execute those systems, standards, and expectations so they know what they have to do.
- Having that clarity ensures that everybody’s efforts are aligned and directed toward achieving common objectives.
This involves articulating specific operational goals, customer service standards, and brand values they have to follow to meet not only your business requirements but also the culture that you're trying to provide.
When you define these systems, make sure you include actionables. For instance, instead of saying “provide good customer service”, define what good service looks like in measurable and actionable terms, such as greeting customers within 30 seconds of their entry.
Also, be as detailed as possible. The more you share about the why of these procedures, the more people will be able to embrace and follow them exactly the way they're supposed to be.
Step #2: Proper step-by-step documented procedures
Once you define what those systems are going to be, you need to write them down in a management manual or job forms so that the team can be trained on them and reviewed or consulted when there’s any confusion or questions.
- This is key information because what you document will become the roadmap for executing tasks consistently across all units, exactly how you want them to be done.
It is best that you do this, especially for critical operations, including opening and closing routines, customer service protocols, and emergency procedures.
Having these business processes and procedures will eliminate the guesswork, reduce the errors, and ensure that the standard operations you want are clear to them.
Some recommendations to properly execute this step are:
- These guides must be written in a way that is understandable for every employee.
- They should be accessible to everyone, not encrypted in your computer for no one to find.
- It is best to have physical manuals and templates or forms displayed somewhere in the unit for everyone to read.
- If you choose to have them digital, they have to be easily accessible online so that the employees can quickly consult how a procedure should be done and then, act upon it.
- Update the documentation regularly and tailor the guides to accommodate slight variations in local market conditions.
Step #3: Quality training to achieve competence and confidence
Not just because you define and document the systems means that the people know them. So, the next step is to train your people.
You have to make sure that every team member is properly trained in these procedures so that you can achieve consistency across the organization as well as a high level of confidence and competency among your staff and leaders in the organization.
To do this you require a well-designed training program that specifies what you are going to go through with each team member, in each position, to ensure not only that they're trained in the necessary knowledge and skills, but that they feel capable of doing the job effectively.
To do that you can use a variety of methods, either documents, videos, or on-the-job training. Consider also that people learn in different ways. Some like to read, others prefer to listen while others would rather experiment with hands-on demonstrations. By incorporating the different types of training, you’ll be including everybody's preferences along the way.
If you have very robust quality training, the likelihood of achieving consistency of execution across your units goes up tremendously.
Step #4: Clear delegation of tasks
Now you have to delegate the tasks. Since the employees already know what is expected of them, and what they're responsible for, and they were trained on how to obtain the results and operational goals, they can be held accountable for that task.
The delegation also enables managers to focus on leadership and strategy rather than getting bogged down in day-to-day tasks.
- My recommendation when delegating is to assign specific roles and responsibilities based on individual strengths, areas of expertise, and positions of responsibility.
Also, you have to make sure there’s no confusion about what the different positions are responsible for. That's what delegation or proper delegation looks like.
But beware. Delegating doesn't mean that you let go. You should do the following step to complete the virtuous circle.
Step #5: Relentless follow-up!
If you want consistent execution of any task, you must have regular follow-up. That is really the ultimate job. Otherwise, people might think that if the task is not as important to you, perhaps it should not be so important to them either.
Also, monitoring the performance will help you address any issues as immediately as possible, redirect, and correct whatever is necessary to be back in alignment with your expectations before the problem gets bigger.
To help you do that follow-up effectively, you must establish regular checkups. Define what things you'll be checking every day, what you’ll review by the end of the week, and what you’ll leave until the month ends.
- Having this routine will allow you to transform your good intentions into great results.
Also, don’t look at follow-up as a nag. It is a way in which you can help people be the best that they can be.
If you follow these five steps of consistent execution, then you'll be able to achieve a high level of operational excellence, which will lead to great customer service. The employees will be more engaged and you'll be able to achieve the financial goals you want, as well as create a strong foundation to scale your business successfully, whether increasing revenue or the number of units.
It is worth it, right? However, these steps are not static. Things change, what you execute changes, and people and generations change. So you need to update and adjust these systems, processes, and procedures frequently to make them sharper, document them better, adjust how you train people on them, define new tasks to delegate, or how to do an improved follow-up.
All those things need to be reviewed from time to time to be the best they can be for the people and the systems that you have. So, be flexible because if you do this successfully, you will have excellent, consistent execution of your business and brand systems across your organization.
If you would like to learn what systems you need to put in place or how to do everything you have learned in this blog post, explore the training and development programs we offer at the American Franchise Academy.
We have training programs for unit managers, district managers, and for developing multi-unit franchisees and we can support you in your journey of achieving your highest potential.
Reflections:
- Do you have all your systems, processes, and procedures written down for your people to review or consult?
- Do you need to reinforce any process or system to have your team perform better?
- Are your crew members ready to take over certain tasks?
- Are you letting go or doing a proper follow-up on what you are delegating?
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