Through my own transition from the corporate world to franchising, and through working with other franchise candidates, I’ve learned an important truth: mindset matters. Executives often have an employee mindset. They’re “company men” and “company women.” As they lead their teams, their goal is to satisfy company priorities and contribute to company profits. They look to the company to reward them for their work and to set the boundaries of what they should do, learn, and earn. It’s hard, if not impossible, for an executive to be successful unless they have this mindset.
Successful franchisees, on the other hand, have an empowered mindset. This mindset is very different from an employee mindset. People with an empowered mindset set their own goals and priorities, and they set their own boundaries for when, how, and where they work. They create their own rewards for their hard work. But for someone who’s had an employee mindset for decades, shifting to an empowered mindset can be challenging. So how do you do it?
Think in terms of “can” and “have”
This may be the biggest shift you have to make. Work in the corporate world is often defined by limits: budgetary limits, staffing limits, departmental silos, industry and company norms, and more. Especially at the executive level, hiring and promotion processes are all about exclusivity. They often focus on weeding people out based on skills, degrees, or experience they don’t have. Companies expect employees to limit themselves “for the good of the organization,” whether that means sacrificing your personal life to work long hours, or dampening your personality and style to fit corporate norms.
In the franchise industry, however, the successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think without limits – those who think in terms of what they can do and the resources and skills they have, not the ones they don’t. This difference plays out at two points: during the franchise search process and during franchise ownership.
The franchise industry is so diverse that it offers an option for almost any kind of “can” and “have.” Regardless of your skillset and experience (what you can do) or whether you’re looking for a modest investment or one in the millions (what you have), there’s an option for you. Once you’re a franchise owner, you won’t need to sacrifice who you are or what’s important to you in order to succeed. In fact, those will be your guiding principles as you make your business grow
Redefine challenges as opportunities
The corporate world tends to penalize failure and to have a very narrow definition of success. Change is generally bad, if for no other reason than it tends to spook shareholders. When challenges arise, the goal is usually to resolve them as quickly as possible. No one wants to hear about a dip in profits, issues with a product, or the tradeoffs of a decision. In fact, plenty of companies have ended up in big trouble for covering up challenges like these.
On a personal level, you have to advance constantly. Make a lateral career move or question whether you’re in the right place, and you’re a failure. Any kind of break in employment is frightening because it means your safety net – the company – has been pulled out from under you. When you have an empowered mindset, however, challenges like these are opportunities, not disasters or failures. They’re just a change in circumstances – and because you’re empowered, you can adapt.
Laid off? An employee mindset says, “I’ve got to find my next job ASAP.” An empowered mindset says, “This might be my chance to approach life and work differently.” Feeling empty or dissatisfied at work? An employee mindset says, “Maybe I’ll feel better if I get a promotion” or “I’ll just have to suck it up because this job pays well.” An empowered mindset says, “I invest too much of my life into my career to feel miserable. It’s time to find something that’s fulfilling.”
Pay it forward
If you have an employee mindset, your focus is on the company. You think in terms of contributing to the company’s profits, meeting the goals set for you by the company, working the schedule the company expects you to work. Corporate compensation systems and career paths reinforce this mindset. You don’t get bonuses or promotions for doing what benefits your family or what you find fulfilling – you get them by making a lot of money for the company or sacrificing more than your peers.
When you have an empowered mindset, however, you think about how you can work according to your own values and priorities. You also think about how you can build a legacy for your family and your community. Franchising enables both.
Franchisees have the freedom to set their own goals and priorities, and to find more fulfilling work. If spending more time with your family is your priority, for instance, you can choose a home-based franchise or executive franchise ownership. No more worrying about whether you’re going to be required to go to the office every day, because the choice is yours!
If you want work that’s more fulfilling, you can choose from the many franchise options that do good for the community, such as home health care, child care, or educational tutoring services. Franchising also provides numerous ways to build a legacy for your family, and franchisees have full freedom to pursue charitable activities through their businesses.
How to get started
So which sounds more appealing: an employee mindset or an empowered mindset? If you’re reading this blog, I think it’s pretty likely that you’ll choose the latter. And my co-consultant Lauri and I can help you get there. Our consulting process will help you define your “can” and “have,” recognize the opportunities that are in front of you, and choose a path that fits with your values and the legacy you want to build. And all this is always free. Book a call with one of us today to get started!
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