Women seeking to become leaders in traditionally male-dominated industries may find the recent overall decline of women in C-suite roles discouraging or even alarming. The restoration industry, for example, sees few women in leadership positions, much less C-Suite. Yet, as an industry based on providing service for people who have gone through crisis or trauma from natural or unexpected disaster, there’s a human element that must be met. With their natural empathy, women bring a unique perspective that meets this need, helping them drive success in this traditionally male-dominated industry (and potentially others too).
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Strategic leadership of an emerging national disaster response brand requires a focus on not only acknowledging and providing restoration services for those experiencing serious damage and loss to their property, but also requires a focus on empathy and communication from the C-Suite to the local franchise level. No matter the industry you lead, it’s important to focus not only on the speed at which you provide a service or get customers in and out of the door. You also have to prioritize the customer experience and the customer needs. This starts with instilling the same values for company culture that are expected in your network’s customer service.
An Empathetic Response from Customer to Corporate Level
Empathy seems to incorrectly fall to the back burner when customers’ needs include a sense of urgency in service, but by no means should it be forgotten. In an industry where property damage can escalate from bad to worse in a matter of minutes, local response that is not only quick, but also allows for time to listen and respond to customers in a way that acknowledges their emotions can make the difference when properties have been restored and it’s time to reflect on the experience. This level of empathy in response to incidents in franchisee markets should be directly reflected in the corporate team you lead as an executive as well.
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As new team members join and departments work together towards overarching company goals, your expectations as a leader are to not only help create, but also to maintain a culture that encourages collaboration, active listening and a down-to-earth response. While others look to you as a leader, your responsibility remains to take the time to get to know the people you work with and the problems they’re tackling. You need to offer solutions and support in both personal and work aspects of their lives. Even when an employee makes a mistake or has a misstep in judgment, reflect on what factors may have caused the error and look at it as an opportunity for them to learn, reflect and grow, rather than as a negative.
Aligning corporate culture and employee experiences that reflect empathy will help ensure that throughout the levels of the franchise, including franchise consultants and the franchisees themselves, everyone is met on a human level first. Avoid distancing yourself as a C-Suite executive and focus more on being an active listener, a motivator and someone who employees feel comfortable with and encouraged to approach. This will ensure that your service brand consistently treats customers the same.
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Raising Communication Expectations within a Franchise Network
Communication in a franchise system is just as essential as communication to customers receiving services, but it’s not always easy to accomplish. As a franchise executive, it is sometimes assumed that once you reach the C-Suite, your role is farther away from the rest of the corporate team and, by default, more distant from the franchisees in local markets. This could not be more of a myth. Routine communication with colleagues across departments, even if bi-weekly or monthly, is essential to remaining the most up-to-date on what’s happening each day in your business. It also allows you to dive in and learn exactly what makes your team members, who are supporting a massive franchise network, grow and thrive.
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Rather than your team viewing you simply as the “top of the chain” and inaccessible, you should not only speak, but also follow through with actions that bring you to a more personable, open and accessible level. Allow your team to give you feedback on new ideas or strategies and offer some of their own. Don’t do this only anonymously, as in a survey, but clear a path for people to communicate directly to you and the rest of the executives in meetings or regular lunches. Especially in a franchise network, your team speaks to franchisees every day and hears from them on their experiences as the “doers,” and their opinions and experiences should not be overlooked due to rank.
On the franchise-level, a local owner should never have to second-guess whom to turn to if they hit a roadblock or need extra support from the corporate team. When aspiring entrepreneurs choose to own a franchise rather than opening an independent business, there is an expectation that support will be regularly provided, regardless of whether they request it. C-Suite executives should make a point to know their franchisees just as much as they would rush to know a new leadership member. Even in a system of hundreds of franchise locations, setting the expectation that you are an executive who listens, knows and works for the betterment of the franchise as a whole, rather than just the corporate brand, will increase your success in an industry that is dense with competition.
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Leading an expansive franchise network, whether a high-stress and high-trauma response industry like restoration or in the foodservice and retail sectors and any in between, can seem daunting, especially for new executives. Finding key values that you want to enforce within the business will set you and your brand up for success while carving out a distinct place for your business in its respective industry. Rather than focusing on the negatives and distancing yourself at the “top of the chain,” practicing empathetic response and open, clear communication in your corporate team will allow your team and the entire franchise network to follow suit. This action leads to brand success while ultimately providing the best service possible as an emergency response provider.
