By Evan Hackel
When a franchisee struggles, it’s almost predictable what happens next.
The franchisor looks at the franchisee and says, “If they would simply follow the system, their business would improve.”
The franchisee looks back and says, “If the franchisor provided better support, marketing, or coaching, my business would improve.”
Both sides can usually produce evidence to support their position. The franchisee can point to challenges with the brand, changing market conditions, or inadequate support. The franchisor can identify operating standards that aren’t being followed, inconsistent execution, or missed opportunities.
The unfortunate reality is that both sides are often partially right.
And that’s precisely why the conversation goes nowhere.
The moment the relationship becomes about proving who is at fault, everyone loses. Energy that should be invested in growing the business gets consumed defending positions, assigning blame, and justifying past decisions. The business stalls while the relationship weakens.
The question isn’t, “Who’s right?”
The better question is, “Who’s responsible for creating a better outcome?”
The answer is simple.
Both are.
That shift in thinking can completely transform a franchise system.
Years ago, I accepted responsibility for leading a mature franchise organization that had settled into the kind of mediocre performance many mature systems eventually experience. The system wasn’t failing, but it certainly wasn’t thriving. As I met with franchisees and the corporate team, one pattern became impossible to ignore.
Everyone had someone else to blame.
Corporate believed franchisees weren’t executing the system.
Franchisees believed corporate wasn’t providing enough support.
Neither side believed they were the problem.
Ironically, they were both correct—and they were both wrong.
The problem wasn’t the people.
The problem was the culture.
The organization had become trapped in a cycle of blame instead of a culture of shared ownership.
We intentionally changed the conversation.
Instead of asking, “Whose fault is this?” we began asking, “How do we solve this together?”
That simple change altered everything.
The relationship shifted from opposition to partnership. Conversations became more honest. Problems became easier to identify. Solutions became easier to implement. Instead of protecting positions, people started sharing ideas.
Over time, blame gave way to celebration.
The system dramatically outperformed the industry because people stopped acting like opposing parties and started acting like partners with a shared purpose.
That experience reinforced one of the most important leadership lessons I’ve learned.
Leadership isn’t about finding someone to blame.
Leadership is about creating shared ownership.
In Ingaging Leadership, I describe leadership as creating an environment where people willingly accept ownership because they feel respected, supported, and involved in achieving a common purpose. That principle applies perfectly to franchising.
The franchisor owns the strength of the system.
The franchisee owns the execution of the system.
Neither succeeds without the other.
When a business underperforms, both parties have an opportunity—not to defend themselves—but to learn.
One of the simplest and most effective tools is the “Five Whys.” Rather than stopping at the first explanation, both parties continue asking “Why?” until they uncover the true root cause.
Sales are declining.
Why?
Customer traffic is down.
Why?
Local marketing has become inconsistent.
Why?
The franchisee stopped executing the marketing calendar.
Why?
They became overwhelmed managing day-to-day operations.
Why?
They never fully mastered delegation and didn’t recognize the early warning signs.
Now the conversation is completely different.
Instead of concluding that the franchisee simply isn’t trying hard enough, or that the franchisor isn’t providing enough support, both sides discover the real issue. Once the root cause becomes clear, meaningful solutions become possible.
Just as important as finding the root cause is resisting another common mistake.
Trying to fix everything.
Many improvement plans fail because they become overwhelming. A review of the business identifies twenty opportunities, resulting in twenty action items. Within weeks, nothing receives enough attention, and little changes.
High-performing leaders understand a different principle.
Focus on the vital few.
Ask one simple question:
What are the two or three actions that will have the greatest impact on this business over the next ninety days?
Perhaps it’s improving customer follow-up.
Perhaps it’s rebuilding local marketing.
Perhaps it’s increasing operational consistency during peak hours.
Whatever those priorities are, both the franchisor and franchisee commit to executing them exceptionally well before moving on to the next opportunity.
Execution always beats intention.
Focus always beats complexity.
Improvement comes from disciplined consistency, not lengthy checklists.
Training also deserves a different perspective.
Too often, additional training is viewed as punishment or evidence that someone has failed.
The healthiest franchise systems see it differently.
Training is an investment.
Professional athletes never stop practicing. Elite performers never outgrow coaching. The same should be true within a franchise organization. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn something that makes the business stronger tomorrow than it is today.
Finally, every improvement plan needs mutual accountability.
The franchisee commits to specific actions.
The franchisor commits to specific support.
Progress is measured.
Conversations are scheduled.
Successes are celebrated.
Adjustments are made when necessary.
The accountability belongs to both sides because success belongs to both sides.
Franchising has always been built on partnership. Yet partnerships only flourish when both parties choose responsibility over blame.
The next time a franchise location struggles, resist the temptation to ask, “Who caused this?”
Instead ask, “What can we accomplish together?”
That question changes the conversation.
It changes the relationship.
And ultimately, it changes the results.
The strongest franchise systems aren’t the ones with the fewest problems.
They’re the ones where franchisors and franchisees stop pointing fingers, stand shoulder to shoulder, and accept shared responsibility for building something better.
Because in the end, responsibility isn’t about assigning fault.
It’s about creating the future.
About Evan Hackel
As an author, keynote speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur, Evan Hackel has been instrumental in launching more than 20 businesses and has managed a portfolio of brands with systemwide sales of more than $5 billion. He is the creator of Ingaged Leadership, the author of the book Ingaging Leadership: The Ultimate Edition, and a thought leader in leadership and success.
Evan is the CEO of Ingage Consulting. Visit www.evanhackel.com