The cost to destroy systems has plummeted

It’s almost like a physical law: like a law of gravity. It has always been much cheaper to destroy rather than build.Franchisees know this when they accept the destruction of self-worth, confidence and trust that happens during their contract.

Any small group of franchisees can now deliver a fatal blow to their system because of the almost-free, anonymous digital information sharing.

How franchisees deal with their fight- or-flight-or-freeze response will be interesting to watch.

Not great news for the, generally, neanderthal profiteers  of the old order.

WikiFranchise.org

Franchisees overcome fear the best as a group

Fear creates division and loneliness:

a sense of hopelessness and helplessness; shame-humiliation disguised as depression.

It slowly creeps up on you and makes you do stupid things. It clouds your judgment and distorts your perception. It’s plainly seen by those outside the “power circles” but invisible to the individual.

All skilled power players know to keep the franchisees separated and only bring them together when they are well-supervised.

This maintains their dependency on the central power authority.

Eight ways to combat fear

1. It doesn’t matter why you’re scared. Knowing why you’ve developed a particular fear doesn’t do much to help you overcome it, and it delays your progress in areas that will actually help you become less afraid. Stop trying to figure it out.
2. Learn about the thing you fear. Uncertainty is a huge component of fear: Developing an understanding of what you’re afraid of goes a long way toward erasing that fear.
3. Train. If there’s something you’re afraid to try because it seems scary or difficult, start small and work in steps. Slowly building familiarity with a scary subject makes it more manageable.
4. Find someone who is not afraid. If there’s something you’re afraid of, find someone who is not afraid of that thing and spend time with that person. Take her along when you try to conquer your fear — it’ll be much easier.
5. Talk about it. Sharing your fear out loud can make it seem much less daunting.
6. Play mind games with yourself. If you’re afraid of speaking in front of groups, it’s probably because you think the audience is going to judge you. Try imagining the audience members naked — being the only clothed person in the room puts you in the position of judgment.
7. Stop looking at the grand scheme. Think only about each successive step. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t think about being on the fortieth floor of a building. Just think about getting your foot in the lobby.
8. Seek help. Fear is not a simple emotion. If you’re having trouble overcoming your fear on your own, find a professional to help you. There are lots of treatments for fear out there, and no good reason not to try them under the guidance of someone with training and experience.

I note that #2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 can ONLY be done with the help of others. Look to your peers but get some outside help.

This, again, is an excellent article.

FEAR: Franchisees’ temporary incapacity

Putting aside a thousand reasons not to reference Gary Busey, one of his quotes sticks in my head when I deal with current franchisees.

Busey defined the word “fear” as:

• F – false
• E -evidence
• A – appearing
• R – real

When franchisees are in a tight spot, they are in a sense, sick or have regressed. Their emotions change their body chemistry which affects their perception.

Rational decision making is a higher thinking function. Fear takes over: it controls the much more ancient and primitive part of the brain (fight or flight response).

• This makes higher order thinking (also linked to interpersonal trust)  next to impossible.

Fear is the key to understand why franchisees are, in a sense, temporarily incapable of helping themselves.

For what it is worth, here are a few other acronyms for fear.

Any comments would be appreciated.