How One Franchise Leader is Making Tough Decisions During COVID-19

As franchise brands across segments are forced to re-strategize their operations in light of a world-historic health and economic crisis, leadership has come into sharp focus. Teams are looking for guidance from the top, and in the franchise world, one wrong decision can impact a vast network of small businesses.

That’s a lot of pressure for even the most experienced leaders, but there are a few strategies leaders can rely on to help produce the best decisions in times of crisis. Marco’s Pizza President Tony Libardi outlined five of those strategies in an article for Entrepreneur on Wednesday.

First, Libardi says, franchise leaders need to “create calm in the chaos” by finding or creating relaxing environments in which to make decisions. Next, leaders need to “detect and address” their emotions to remove any of their own personal baggage from the decision-making process.

Once the decision-maker is mentally prepared to address a given situation, Libardi says they should begin by breaking up the decision into small parts.

Challenging decisions can often be complex, and if that’s what you’re up against, try breaking up the issue at hand into several smaller ones. Information overload can cause even the best decision-makers to overlook critical aspects and outcomes of a potential decision. You may also want to try drawing or writing out the problem, as viewing it on paper may help you slice it into more digestible sections.

Before acting on major decisions, Libardi counsels leaders to discuss their conclusions with a small, trusted team. “Listening to differing perspectives will be helpful in arriving at a sound decision, but studies show it’s wise to avoid overcrowding the decision-making table,” Libardi writes.

Finally, leaders need to “take a beat” before acting on any high-pressure decision. “Studies show that if you delay pulling the trigger on your decision – even by as little as a half a second – you’re able to quickly and effectively assess consequences.”

Marcos Pizza currently has 950 locations, all of which have been deemed essential businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

Read the full article at Entrepreneur.com.