LEADERSHIP Leading with Values
Living Rich Re-energizing business and government
In September 2015 , Mary Thompson and I had the pleasure of meeting U . S . Rep . Cathy McMorris Rodgers ( R-WA ) at the IFA ’ s Franchise Action Network meeting to talk about the most pressing issues facing franchisors across the country . It was one of the most exciting days for us to meet the highest-ranking
BY DINA DWYER-OWENS
2,800 franchises and about $ 1.5 billion in annual system-wide sales that stretch across 11 countries around the globe . People routinely ask , “ How can we create that kind of successful growth for our organization ?” The common thread behind that growing , collaborative , and collective success is the Dwyer Group Code of Values .
It ’ s a topic that speaks to my heart and one of the reasons I wrote my book , Values , Inc . I wanted to provide a road map for others to experience what we are known for : helping a large organization stay the course as it gets bigger , as well as helping the small-business owner or franchisees and their teams on the front lines , by using a Code of Values . I wanted to help others define a Code of Values that can live and breathe in their organizations . It has been a privilege to share our company ’ s journey with other franchisors , businesses , the public at large , and now government .
In the past year , since having their own values , people at Cathy ’ s office have found several ways to put them into practice . Doing this has helped them reflect on how their actions affect those around them and how they can strive to be better public servants , teammates , and citizens . Other leaders on the Hill have asked for copies of her Code of Values , and she has attracted resumes of people wanting to work in her office — because of the reputation and culture they have created with these values .
Values know no boundaries All of this is music to my ears . Living and leading with values knows no boundaries . It can serve a small business , it can serve a large organization , and it can even serve our country ’ s highest offices . For any organization , a strong Code of Values , put into action , provides a road map to the future . The bottom line — and a profitable one , too — is that a company that lives and leads with values will always outperform , outshine , outdo , and outlive competitors who put ethics on the back burner . n
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
woman in the GOP , and wouldn ’ t you know it , our discussion turned to living and leading with values .
It ’ s been a little over two decades since the Dwyer Group implemented its operationalized Code of Values and a series of principles that support our organization . Live R . I . C . H ( Respect , Integrity , Customer focus , and Having fun in the process ) guides our business decisions , and every day we strive to keep these values front and center and ensure that everyone in the company , from the leadership team to our franchisees on the front lines , knows and embraces these values .
After a record year of historic growth in 2016 , our organization now includes 15 franchised consumer brands , more than
Values in government At that first meeting with Cathy , our Code of Values message really resonated with her , and she invited me to return to D . C . later that year to give a values in business seminar for her entire congressional staff . The end result of the workshop was that her office wrote out their own Code of Values , something they have begun following over the past year .
Taking a page from our Live R . I . C . H message , Cathy ’ s office now has a message to SERVE . In a guest column Cathy wrote for TIME magazine ( Feb . 3 , 2017 ), she shared a little about her team ’ s Code of Values :
“ In our office on Capitol Hill , the epicenter of partisanship and egos , my team and I established a system of values , a motto called , “ Have Fun While We SERVE ” ( Seek Excellence , Everybody Matters , Responsibly Own It , Vigilant Integrity , and Embrace Change ), and at staff meetings we talk about how we are living these values , and where we fall short .”
Dina Dwyer-Owens is co-chairwoman of the Dwyer Group , which has 15 franchised brands and revenues of approximately $ 1.5 billion . She served as IFA Chair in 2010 , received the IFA ’ s Bonny LeVine Award , is a champion for VetFran , founded Women in the Trades , and is the author of two books , including Values , Inc .
20 Franchiseupdate ISSUE II , 2017