Franchisors will better understand how to motivate and lead their franchisees with an understanding of the psychology of success.
The steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie (whose wealth was greater than the current combined assets of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) began comprehensive research on the key attributes of success in the 1920s.
The studies of the Carnegie Foundation determined the three main characteristics to be: skills, knowledge, and attitude. The first ingredient for success is knowledge and the second element for success is skill which is the application of that knowledge. Most franchisors and employers agree that attitude is a crucial factor in the outcomes of their franchisees and staff, yet they consistently focus their money and time on skills and knowledge training.
ATTITUDE IS KEY
There is often very little concentration in the area that can make the biggest difference in the prosperity of a franchisee. This sector is the third and most important ingredient of success: attitude.
Renowned businessmen and motivators Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Maxwell Maltz, and Brian Tracy substantiate that attitudinal characteristics make up 85 percent of a person’s success. While skills and knowledge are important, they only comprise 15 percent of the necessary ingredients for success.
What are some of the attitudinal qualities for success? Furthermore, how can franchisors train their franchisees to adopt positive attitudes and to remain focused and ambitious while maintaining clear, long-term objectives which excite them?
SELF CONCEPT
The answer is to ensure that a franchisee is truly self-aware. Self-awareness, at its core, is about understanding the origin of one’s present thoughts, feelings and opinions. These emotions often dictate what franchisees believe they can achieve. Psychologists refer to this as one’s self-concept.
Many franchisees believe they are only capable of earning a certain annual income and they always earn within 10 percent of that number. They do not realise that what they earn can be limited by their self-concept. The results that people attain in life are governed by the images they hold of themselves in their subconscious minds.
MOTIVATION
If franchisees can learn to regard objectively their current self-concepts, they can be taught to improve their attitudes, routines and results. Franchisors who understand that the present habit patterns of franchisees can absolutely be changed, will gain advantage by focusing on personal goal orientation for franchisees.
Peak performance and attitudinal training is the means to motivating franchisees toward productive habits. The franchisees that are pro-active, set goals to be more effective, and maintain an ongoing attitude of positive expectancy will be the most successful. These franchisees are in charge of their self-concepts and understand the psychology of success.
APPLYING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS
Franchisors naturally search for the best candidates to support their strategic growth strategies and they spend considerable time developing their existing franchisees. The principles of the psychology of success can be used to attract, evolve, and keep exceptional franchisees.
How does a franchisor recognise a ‘great person’? Great people have the ability to get results; they consistently get a job done quickly and at a high level of quality. They possess key attitudinal characteristics or show the willingness to learn and develop them.
The following are the five key success factors that define great people.
5 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
People with these traits:
- Are good team players. They treat each other with respect despite possible differences because they share a common goal.
- Are more concerned with what is right than who is right. When there is a disagreement, it should be focused on the issues, achieving the goal, rather than on blaming or making excuses. Create an environment for meetings where franchisees can discuss issues without them becoming personal and where tough subjects can be brought up without fear of reprisal.
- Are intensely goal oriented. The best franchisees focus on contributing and getting results. Their time is well-spent on the key tasks that make a real difference.
- Accept high levels of responsibility. Those who feel personally accountable for results do not require close supervision. They accept responsibility for the outcomes required of them.
- See work as part of their identity. These franchisees view themselves as part of the company family. They think their work life is great and it becomes part of their identity. They socialise with colleagues outside of work.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOALS
Finally, to gain a clear picture of where potential and current franchisees stand today, ask them if they have written personal and business goals. Only three percent of people have written goals, so the chances are good that this will not be the case.
Written goals are the path to self-awareness and if written out daily or at least weekly, this practice will radically elevate performance, sharpen clarity of focus and maintain determination to achieve.
The Brian Tracy International website (briantracyanz.com) has an excellent survey on personal goals that can be downloaded for free. This overview is a beneficial planning tool for franchisors and franchisees.
ACHIEVE RESULTS
Ultimately, with a clear understanding of why people think the way they do, and the knowledge that everyone can, with discipline, change the way they think, everyone can strive for better results in their personal and professional lives.
Whether the goals of franchisees are financial independence, more free time to spend with family and friends, the health benefits of sticking to a regular exercise program, or an overseas holiday, all of these targets are attainable.
A positive attitude, an understanding of the self-concept, clarity around personal and business goals, and the five key success factors provide some of the necessary steps and proven techniques for immediate and long-term results in goal achievement.
All of the requisite success components can be taught and the franchisees who adopt them and learn to be focused and goal-oriented are guaranteed to be more productive, successful and fulfilled.
As professional studies have shown, 85 percent of an individual’s success rate is based on attitude. It follows then that motivated franchisees with enthusiastic and pro-active outlooks will achieve better results for franchisors.
Andrew Phillips is CEO of Brian Tracy International Australia/New Zealand