Understanding and replicating high-performer mindsets in your multiunit operations

In multiunit retail and quick-service restaurants (QSRs), effective leadership at the store or site level is one of the greatest influences on performance.

If you have multiple locations, you know that stores can vary significantly in terms of culture, performance, service, quality, and more. To ensure brand consistency, upper management often introduces organization-wide protocols on managing people, processes and products. However, the success of these protocols largely depends on an individual store manager. They are the ones who connect to individual employees, guide teams and set the culture in their location.

Leaders are traditionally hired and promoted based on skills, but teams are about more than that. They are a collection of individuals whose maturity and culture can vary greatly. A manager’s ability to recognize these variations and understand how to communicate with team members based on their unique working mindsets is critical to a productive, successful working environment.

What qualities separate a high-performing manager from one whose site is underperforming? Is there a common mindset that drives success and if so, how can it be replicated across locations?

Understand what drives success

With a technology-enabled approach, retail and QSR executives can take the guess work out of understanding their managers and teams. JMJ’s proprietary DEV:Q™ (Development Quotient) diagnostic provides a data-driven foundation for making informed decisions.

DEV:Q is more than just a diagnostic tool; it provides a shared language for understanding working mindsets. It delves into how individual leaders perceive work, tackle challenges, and cope with the complexities of a dynamic working environment.

Here are some of the ways DEV:Q can transform the way multi-unit organizations understand leadership development:

1. Enhance individual store/site performance

One of the primary applications of DEV:Q is to elevate the average performance of each store/site by pinpointing the key perspectives that drive exceptional managers. It brings awareness of how individuals approach problem-solving and the mindset they bring into the workplace. This data provides insights to the values and preferences associated with job role success and organizational fit, as well as any risk factors that might negatively impact these areas.

2. Focus on development, not personality

Unlike traditional assessments that often focus on personality traits, DEV:Q shifts the focus to problem-solving development. It recognizes that a leader’s ability to solve problems effectively outweighs any personality traits that may be measured in conventional assessments.

3. Drive consistent performance

Consistency is key in multiunit businesses, and DEV:Q aims to deliver just that. By looking beyond surface-level outputs and honing in on the true inputs for high performance, it paves the way for more consistent and sustainable performance across all sites.

In an industry where performance hinges on effective management, DEV:Q offers a unique perspective on development, emphasizing problem-solving skills and mindset clarity as the pillars of success. With DEV:Q, organizations can nurture a new breed of managers who are not only competent but also primed for continuous growth and excellence.

Read our DEV:Q use cases to find out how we helped fast food franchisees understand the mindsets of their best general managers.

Contact us to learn more about how our technology-enabled approach to culture change can drive consistent performance across your organization.