Why Malcolm X loved criticism and so should you.

“If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success.”

-Malcolm X

If you do not agree with an approach someone is taking in business, you must offer a proposal for a better solution. Ignoring the problem is not an option. Criticizing without a counter solution is not the right approach either. If you criticize without offering a better way, you are just being a pain in the butt. If we are trying to improve the process, then it is constructive even if our new approach does not become the ultimate solution. It opens our minds to reach the best possible outcome given a moving target of alternatives.

Constant creative destruction is the means to make a franchise strong, vibrant and viable.

Update on Loves:

On January 2^nd I sent the Assistant to Tom Love, the CEO of Love’s gas station chain an email after getting her voicemail. It highlighted a problem and my recommendation to solve it. So far, four weeks later, no answer. When you are big maybe you feel small problems are not important. In nature it’s not “big eats small” it’s “fast eats slow!” If you are the fastest in the jungle or your industry, you can sleep well at night.

Love’s Ranked #42 on the Forbes largest private companies in America, I am probably not considered a top priority. I am not sure if they have tried my recommendation in the story or not. If anyone can send me an updated photo of a new pump sticker at that location mentioned in the e-mail I will give them $50.00! Just a shot of the sticker and one shot with you and the store will do. I will post the photos and send you the cash. First photo update, first dibs on the cash for all you California highway drivers on the East 10.

Here is the e-mail I sent and a link to the story that prompted the e-mail.

“Information for Tom on his California Store

Hi Reta,

I called but missed you. Sorry to send an e-mail unannounced, I will be brief. I wanted to get a story to Tom we published, please print it and forward it to him for me when you can. We have a franchising blog at franchisewhale.com. The blog is a free subscription site that exists to infuse the spirit, theory and science of great licensing and franchising ideas to a global audience of creative business minds.

We are always looking to find hot business niches and improve the way existing companies interact with their respective markets. We found something I believe Tom will want to fix at the #207 Coachella California station. You had a lot of very angry customers four days before Christmas when my family pulled in to gas up. Here is a link to the problem, with my suggestions to fix it. I hope Tom finds it helpful.

http://franchisewhale.com/2007/12/no-love-at-loves-behind-pump-number-5.html

Also if Tom would like to respond, I would be more than happy to publish his response or do a 5 minute audio podcast with him. We have an audio section called "CEO Friday" we publish on iTunes.

By the way, please let Tom know the receptionist who answers your main line is absolute tops! Whatever he is paying her it is not enough. Please tell her personally for me the way she interacts with callers is a case study in making a big company act like a small one. She is very good.

All the best,

Chad “

Remember Whale lovers! Before you fire of a complaint or criticism, you need to offer a better solution or you are wasting everyone’s time.

Criticism like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his root.”

-Frank A. Clark

Thanks for your shower of ideas to make the Whale more user friendly. I have included a built in player on all podcasts now, so you can play directly from each story without downloading a podcast. Just click the blue button at the bottom of each interview we publish and it will play without leaving the story.