Accepting The Challenge of Leading from a Distance

For me, one of the most challenging aspects of what I do is lead teams, and individuals, from a distance. Our company has 11 Regional Field Supervisors who report directly to me. Those 11 guys have approximately 420 staff members who report to them. I see my team in person (as a complete team) 2-3 times per year. We have monthly conference calls and then, of course, there are many, many individual calls, texts and e-mails that fill in the other weeks. Here's where the struggle is for me: How do I know if I am keeping them engaged and accountable? How do I know if I am doing a good job of keeping their Passion Buckets full? As someone who has worked from home for the last 12 years, I am in the same boat as my team: islands unto ourselves, responsible for completing all of our tasks and keeping ourselves motivated without direct supervision or camaraderie. There are no metrics by which to measure character, enthusiasm and heart.

I just got off the phone from my monthly call with my team; with it being the first month of the New Year there was a lot to go over. Our calls are normally strictly kept to an hour, but today was 70 minutes. The first part of the call looked back to 2012, the next part of the call allowed for them to address topics with each other and the final time was spent outlining plans for 2013, specifically what we are going to do to "Be Better” in 2013. My mission in that last 10 minutes was to engage, challenge, inspire and fill their Passion Buckets. But when we are forced to lead from a distance, with phone calls, texts and emails being the primary communication tools, how do we know if we hit the mark? Did we engage them? Do they feel challenged, or put upon?? Did their Passion Buckets get filled, or spilled? When there is no body language to read, no verbal cues to follow, it is REALLY hard to know if the information was received in the spirit with which it was intended. I am a feedback person – I NEED feedback – so a few short “goodbyes” after the “mission”, don’t do it for me. I hung up the phone wondering, “Did the call make a difference”? In my head I know the calls make a difference. I am so very fortunate to be surrounded by a super team that is committed to our company and what we are tasked with accomplishing every day. But in my heart, I wish there was a way to know for sure that I am doing them justice in leading them from a distance.

I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on how you best lead from a distance because in the end, as I find is the case in so many things related to leadership, there is not one right answer to the question. As for me, I will continue to be a leader who: checks with my brain while following my heart and my gut; do my best to communicate, communicate, communicate by any and all appropriate means; and hang on for the ride as we see progress happening at the Speed of Life.

Is your company looking for a speaker to fill the Passion Buckets of your franchisees, or company employees, at your next event? If so, I can be reached at (815) 222-1894. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your company's needs and goals for your event. The main topics I speak on are: passionate leadership, embracing change and succeeding in family business.

An Opportunity to Be A Part of History, Continued...

In Part One of this very engrossing two part series of blogs on the SBLS, I referenced baseball’s opening day, and voiced the sentiment that many IFA leaders were heading to D.C. with a sense of optimism because we felt we could truly make a positive difference. Well, now a week later, I can whole-heartedly say that last week’s Small Business Lending Summit (SBLS) was one for the record books and I absolutely DO feel like everyone in the room made a positive difference!! Think of the SBLS as the baseball game where each team scores every inning – one for you, one for us, two for you, two for us. My opinion is this “game” is far from over, but our team (the franchise community, the bankers and the policy makers) is currently leading against team No Money for You. We’re only in the bottom of the 2nd inning though, so what we have to do now is be relentless in keeping the pressure on in order to sustain our advantage.

I believe IFA Chairman, and McDonald’s franchisee, Jack Earle summed up the day very well when he said, “The dialog was at times tense and always enlightening”. At one point, there was a lot of “respectful disagreeing” going on, but even after that particular presentation the panelist came off the stage and offered a pat on the fanny to the crowd (metaphorically speaking, of course). True progress cannot be made unless all parties really make an effort to understand the opinions and views of their counterparts. I believe the SBLS absolutely provided the right environment for progress to materialize.

Here are my Top Ten SBLS “Plays of the Day”:

*There is an estimated $10.4 billion dollar demand for capital by the franchise community. Unfortunately, there’s only an $8.4 billion supply available leaving us with a $2 billion “lending gap”. This could seriously further impede the already slow economic recovery.

*When conference attendees are warming their hands by the coffee table heat lamps and wrapping themselves in tablecloths, it’s too cold in the room!

*Five Guys Burgers is estimated to have 1,000 locations by the end of 2011. How have I not eaten at one yet?

*Karen Mills, SBA Administrator, says the three reasons why banks aren’t lending are: 1) they don’t want the risk, 2) they don’t have any capital, 3) regulatory restrictions.

*The US borrows $4 billion dollars per day!

*Tony Wilkerson, CEO of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lendors (NAGGL) says, history shows direct correlation between small business access to credit and job creation.

*Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal says history is clear that the economy does worse when one party (either party) controls government. Divided government equals best economic situation.

*Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, Associate Professor of International Business and Finance, and Director, Global Perspectives Program, Emory University, says two words to remember regarding franchising: “Resilient” and “Locomotive”. The franchise model is resilient and franchising can be a locomotive for growth.

*It is possible to run a 9 ¼ hour event with 200 attendees, 47 speakers, 5 panels, a white paper release, senior government officials and media and have it finish exactly on time! Amazingly well-done!!

*There are at least nine “C’s” in lending, not just collateral, capacity and character. A tenth was suggested to be added, “Common Sense”.

An Opportunity to Be A Part of History!

Baseball’s opening day has arrived, and, as always, optimism overfloweth on opening day! Next week, myself, and many others, will head to Washington, D.C. for the Small Business Lending Summit (SBLS), and we will be armed with that same sense of optimism as we strive to truly make a positive difference. Just like with opening day, the SBLS marks an opportunity for a fresh start, a chance for us to step up to the plate and swing for the fences! If, collectively, we accomplish the objectives set forth for this event, we will: educate lendors and policy makers alike on the power of franchising, build communication bridges between each of these communities and encourage them to make credit more accessible to our organizations, thus letting us get back to what we do so well – fulfilling the American Dream and getting Americans back to work!

Let’s be honest, most of us are never gonna make history by hitting 73 home runs in a single season, or by taking part in turning a triple play, but we can make history in the arena where we serve. That’s exactly how I view the SBLS, a chance to (in some very small way) be a part of history. Won’t it be awesome when franchise businesses are highlighted in the footnotes of history books as being responsible for restoring economic stability in the United States?!

I am going to D.C. for my parents, two wonderful kids from Iowa who had to figure out how to make ends meet in the mid-1970’s, so they took the $17.42 they had and turned it into the construction of over 700 car washes across this great nation. More people should have the opportunity to be like Bob and Mary Black.

I am going to D.C. for my two little boys who deserve a chance to know a future where anything is possible, not a future where little is possible.

I am going to D.C. for you and me, because the people of franchising are some of the best I have ever known, and you deserve a chance to surpass all of your projections and expectations!

So, you see, it’s game time. I assure you, those of us going to D.C. to represent you, franchising, and the IFA, will do everything we can to “knock it out of the park”!! Let’s play ball!

Follow me on Twitter @superwashsusan for live updates from SBLS. Search for hashtag #SBLS.

Be the Architect of Your Future

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to present "Be the Architect of Your Future" at Interim Healthcare's 2011 Sales and Business Development Conference at the Mirage in Las Vegas last week. What a great group of people!! I thoroughly enjoyed working with Interim's CEO, Kathleen Gilmartin, the VP of Sales and Development, Michael Moran, their local franchisee Bernie here in the Chicagoland area, and of course, all of the conference attendees!

Even after lots of years of walking in to events where I don't know anyone, it is still a very intimidating feeling. The Interim group made me feel welcome right from the get-go, and for that I am really thankful. "Be the Architect of Your Future" is a custom speech that I wrote for Interim based on their conference theme, "Building the Future Together". Architects design, plan and build so the whole speech was built around designing, planning and building the future you want for yourself. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came up to me after the presentation to thank me and say how much they enjoyed the hour we spent together. Becky R. from Roanoke, VA even wrote me a note that said, "My 'bucket' is full thanks to you!" For me as a speaker, to know I helped someone re-fill their Passion Bucket, is the highest praise possible!! I am looking forward to the next time I have an opportunity to work with Interim because they were just outstanding from start to finish.

Today brought another exciting confirmation to the speaking calendar and that is for The President's Forum to be held in Chicago in September.

Until next time, keep that Passion Bucket filled to the brim -

Susan

Thanks Team Subway!

What a weekend! After two presentations (one on Friday afternoon and one Saturday morning) at the Subway Worldwide Franchisee Convention, my infatuation with the power of franchising continues!!! 33,000 stores in 90 countries is almost incomprehensible for me, but Subway is "gettin' 'er done!" It was really neat to see Fred DeLuca and Pete Buck (the founders of Subway) on stage together at the opening of the Convention - history in the making.

For my part, Friday started a little slow. Energy hadn't really started to flow through the group yet as the Convention hadn't even opened, nevermind the fact that it was 95 degrees outside with 95% humidity (that can make anyone sluggish). One comment I received on the evaluations was, "Too motivational..." I didn't know a speech could be too motivational!?!? Because I am a motivational speaker who talks at the 30,000 foot level about the importance, and value, of setting goals, doing personal and business assessments, writing an action plan, completing the tasks and then realizing the goals, I learned a lot about the importance of setting the expectation for what is going to be delivered right from the get-go. Which takes me to Saturday...

Saturday was awesome! We had a nearly capacity crowd of 260 people (they had to bring in more chairs) despite the fact it was an 8:45 a.m. session and some torrential down pours had left much of the city of Chicago under water meaning buses were having to zig zag all over to get attendees from the hotel to McCormick Place. Right away you could feel a difference in the room. We set the expectation and never looked back. Here's a few of the comments I received back on evaluations:
* "Excellent and captivating, but pertinent to today's market." A. Ambrosini
* "Sounded like she really knew something about Subway and how to relate." A. Etchison
* "Easy to put into action in daily life and daily business life." Presentation Attendee
* "Good kick to organize and do." Presentation Attendee

Since what I'm most trying to achieve is getting people to commit to taking action when they get back in their markets, I was most excited by the statistic that 92% of evaluation respondents said "yes" they would take action when they got back to their market!! Now we're making progress.

There will be YouTube video of this presentation posted soon. Thanks Team Subway for making me feel welcome at your event. I was thrilled to be a part of it .

With Energy and Purpose,
Susan

Subway Day has Arrived

Tip of the Day: Never start dying your hair at home and then get caught up in working on your PowerPoint presentation! Thankfully I remembered that I was sitting with hair dye on my head before the damage was too bad. I just got swept up in the story of this Powerpoint and almost had a disaster on my hands, or head as it were. :)

I am really excited about the Subway Convention today and tomorrow. I think "Plan for Profit" will be a great program for them. They are expecting 4500 people total, with my rooms set for 300 each. It should be quite the scene. We are going to try and videotape tomorrow's gig, so hopefully we'll have some footage to share soon.

Have a super weekend!
With Energy and Purpose,
Susan

The Power of People

I give a speech entitled, "The Power of People," and in that speech I talk about the importance of building a strong network and the real and awesome value of such a network. I have been very fortunate in my life to be surrounded by many wonderful individuals and for that I am always thankful. I must say though, as I have started this new business venture, I have been truly and absolutely blown away by the outstanding people of the franchise industry. The words of encouragement and recommendation have been amazing, and I am so grateful to all who have either published comments, sent emails, gave a phone call or just wished me luck. Thank you!

I am using LinkedIn more and more these days to continue to build and keep in touch with my network. What a super tool this site is! There have been some really good discussions posted in the IFA Group and it is always fun to receive updates on what's happening with the Women's Franchise Network's around the country. If you are on LinkedIn, please look me up under "Susan Black-Beth" and let's LinkUp!

Never underestimate the power of people. One good relationship, or connection, could be the difference between a lived life and a life lived. Remember, you just never know who you are standing next to!

With Energy and Purpose,
Susan