Last week, we held a franchise operations leadership breakfast on the topic “How to Encourage Franchisees to be Growth-Minded”. In this Tip I’ll share 11 growth strategies to emerge from the session. Read entire post

I just watched an interview with one of the world’s greatest violinists, Joshua Bell. He was asked by a rather serious journalist, “Apart from your obvious musical skill, what are the qualities that have helped you succeed in this industry?” His response caused me to burst out laughing with delight because I had literally just completed a blog quoting the world’s most popular business author on this topic. Joshua Bell grinned and simply said “Luck”. Read entire post

I once operated a bakery cafe where we made all our pastries from scratch. Because our top-seller was apricot danish, we kept a large stock of tinned apricots. One evening when reviewing our supplier invoices, I noticed we were buying more tins of apricots, which was strange as I knew our sales of apricot danish had remained pretty constant. Read entire post

While I love to run workshops, it’s even more fun learning from wise colleagues and teachers. Moshe Lang is one of these, a highly experienced psychologist with a strong interest in humour. Moshe is also one of Australia’s leading family therapists. Last weekend I attended a workshop he conducted on the use of humour by psychologists. While the room was hot and stuffy, (the air conditioning in the building was turned off) I can only describe my experience as a breath of fresh air. Read entire post

I’m just back from the IFA Convention in Las Vegas where I gave a talk on how to increase franchisee engagement in group meetings and conferences. In this Tip I’m going to share the most important point I made, which is to identify what’s important to the people in your audience, and then name it. Read entire post

When I was 12 my dad brought home a vinyl LP record containing a live lecture on life skills by a well-known New York psychologist, Dr Murray Banks. I was fascinated by the ideas and the light-hearted way these were communicated. As I repeatedly listened to it, I remember thinking “what an awesome way to earn a living”. Fast forward 50 years and I am grateful to have been able to study and share my own insights on the psychology of business and everyday life. But knowing about something doesn’t necessarily make you good at it. For instance, I spend most of my time writing and talking about communication and relationship skills, but I occasionally marvel at my personal ineptitude in these areas. Read entire post

As part of a European speaking tour, I’ve been staying in an old rambling hotel in Dublin, formerly a monastery. It’s been fun wandering around the underground corridors, filled with so much history and character. This morning, while checking out at reception, I was pleasantly surprised to meet what I can only describe as a leprechaun taxi driver. I had just asked how I get a taxi, when this vibrant little fellow literally popped out from behind a pillar. “At yer soivice” he announced. Read entire post

I’m in Europe at the moment for some client conferences, so I thought I’d do a Tip on one of my favourite European characters — the Jester. I’ve always had an unusual fascination with Jesters. It’s not their musical or acrobatic skills that interests me. It’s more their role in speaking the truth, and naming the political shenanigans that people in power often use to maintain their influence and control.  Read entire post

We all love an interesting customer service story, so I’m going to share two contrasting experiences from similar businesses. The lessons are compelling. But first a big thank you. Last week, FRI was awarded “Supplier of the Year” at the Australian Excellence in Franchising Awards. These Healthy Franchise Relationship Tips are a small, but important, part of what we do to foster profitable partnerships and positive business practices throughout the global franchising sector. Now onto our story… Read entire post

Recently at Natadola Beach in Fiji, I ticked an item off my bucket list. I wobbled all the way to shore on one of those 1960's longboards. That night as I walked along the beach, reflecting on my surfing prowess, I had a phone call from a colleague who was having a very different board experience. Read entire post