The Crutch You Didn’t Mean to Create: Why Consulting Builds Followers, Not Franchise Owners
By: Stephanie Benze, Director of Education at AC Inc – Field Coach Experts
🔍 In This Article You’ll Learn How To:
- Why consulting often becomes the default (even for great coaches)
- How over-helping creates dependency instead of growth
- The difference between building followers vs. business owners
- When consulting is actually the right move
- How to shift from solving problems to building capability
Let’s start with something that might sting a little…
Most coaches don’t mean to create dependent franchisees. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. They care, they want to help, they want to solve problems quickly, create momentum, and show value in every interaction.
But somewhere along the way, that “help” turns into a pattern.
A pattern where the franchisee waits, asks, and relies. And over time, something subtle but significant starts to happen, they stop thinking like an owner… and start acting like a follower.
The Intent Is Good. The Outcome Isn’t.
No one gets into franchise support thinking, “I’m going to build a system full of dependent operators.” But when consulting becomes the default, that’s exactly what happens.
You jump in with answers, fix the issue, tell them what to do next. It feels efficient, productive, and in the moment, it works. But zoom out, and the pattern tells a different story.
Because every time we solve it for them, we rob them of the reps they need to build critical thinking and decision-making pathways of their own.
And those reps matter. They’re what build confidence. They’re what create ownership. They’re what allow someone to face the next challenge without immediately looking for direction.
Without those reps, franchisees don’t just struggle, they stall.
Consulting Isn’t the Problem, It’s the Overuse of It
Consulting isn’t the villain here. It’s a critical tool.
There are moments where it’s exactly what’s needed, when risk is high, standards are non-negotiable, or speed matters more than development. Compliance issues, safety concerns, brand protection, those aren’t moments for exploration. They require direction.
That’s where consulting shines. It provides clarity, reduces risk, and creates immediate action.
But here’s where things start to slip.
Because consulting works, it’s fast, it’s clean, and it gives the feeling of progress. So it becomes the default instead of the exception. It starts showing up in places it was never meant to live, strategic conversations, growth planning, everyday problem-solving.
And when that happens, the dynamic shifts.
The coach becomes the source of answers.
The franchisee becomes the receiver of direction.
Over time, that pattern conditions behavior. Instead of thinking things through, franchisees start waiting. Instead of building confidence in their own decision-making, they look externally for validation, not because they’re incapable, but because they’ve been trained to.
That’s the real risk of overusing consulting. It doesn’t just solve problems, it slowly removes the need for the other person to solve them at all.
Because consulting solves the moment.
Coaching builds what happens next, and the next, and the next after that.
Why We Default to Consulting (Even When We Know Better)
So if we know this… why does it keep happening?
Because consulting feels better.
It’s uncomfortable to sit in silence and let someone think. It feels inefficient not to just give the answer. It feels like value equals solutions.
And then there’s pressure.
Pressure for performance. Pressure to drive change. Pressure to have answers and move things forward quickly.
So we jump in. We guide, tell, and solve, not because it’s the best long-term move, but because it relieves the discomfort in the moment and meets the expectations we think are being placed on us.
And that’s the trap.
Because consulting often solves your discomfort… not their capability gap.
You’re Not Building Better Franchisees, You’re Building Better Followers
And this is where it starts to show.
You’ve got franchisees who execute quickly, follow direction well, and get things done when told. On paper, they look strong.
But underneath, they hesitate when faced with something new. They default to asking instead of deciding. They stall without support.
That’s not ownership. That’s trained dependence.
You didn’t build a stronger operator. You built a more responsive follower.
And here’s the other side of it, the one that shows up a little differently but leads to the same place.
When consulting is overused with franchisees who already feel a loss of autonomy, it doesn’t create compliance, it creates resistance.
They nod in the moment but disengage later. They stay busy, but not aligned. They operate, but without buy-in.
It’s still a lack of ownership, it just wears a different mask.
Either way, they’re not building.
The Illusion of Performance
And if this feels like just a coaching conversation issue… it’s not. It’s a system issue.
Because many systems unintentionally reward this behavior.
Responsiveness looks like engagement. Execution looks like progress. Compliance looks like success.
And for a while, it works.
Until it doesn’t.
Until the same problems keep resurfacing. Until coaches are overwhelmed. Until franchisees can’t move forward without constant input.
And then something else starts happening.
Frustration builds.
First quietly, side conversations, small complaints, whispers between franchisees. Then it gets louder, in group settings, at conferences, in emails, and in feedback that becomes harder to ignore.
Because what looked like performance… was actually dependence.
The Real Shift: From Answer-Giver to Capability Builder
This is the pivot.
Instead of asking, “Did I help them solve it?” start asking, “Can they solve it next time without me?”
That’s the difference.
That’s the move from consulting to coaching.
And it doesn’t mean you stop helping, it means you help differently. You ask more, pause longer, guide instead of direct, and allow space for thinking.
You build capability instead of just creating action.
Because the goal isn’t to be needed more.
It’s to be needed less.
When to Coach vs When to Consult
So how do you actually balance it?
The truth is, it’s rarely one or the other. It’s a blend.
In the same conversation, you might move between both, intentionally.
You might lead with consulting when training something new, giving clear direction and examples. Then shift into coaching to check for understanding, build ownership, and create accountability.
In a coaching-heavy conversation, you might guide someone through their thinking with questions, helping them land on a decision. Then layer in your perspective or share what you’ve seen work, and shift right back to, “What do you think? Could that work here?”
That’s the balance.
Consult when the risk is high, the answer is non-negotiable, or speed matters more than development.
Coach when the goal is growth, ownership, and long-term capability, because if they’re going to face it again (and they will), they need the skill, not just the answer.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
This isn’t just about coaching style, it’s about system performance.
The way coaching shows up day-to-day shapes everything else in your franchise system. It influences how decisions are made, how problems are solved, and how ownership is felt across the network.
When consulting becomes the dominant approach, it creates a ripple effect. Coaches become the hub for answers, which turns them into bottlenecks. Their time gets stretched thinner, their conversations become more reactive, and their ability to think strategically shrinks because they’re constantly in “fix-it” mode.
At the same time, franchisees begin to operate differently. They look for validation before taking action. Decision-making slows. Ownership weakens. Even strong operators plateau because they’re no longer developing the muscle to lead independently.
And the system feels it.
Performance becomes inconsistent. Growth becomes harder to sustain. And frustration builds, quietly at first, then more visibly across conversations, groups, and feedback.
Now flip it.
When coaching becomes the driver, everything shifts. Franchisees think more critically, make decisions with more confidence, and take ownership of outcomes. Coaches move from being the answer-giver to the capability builder, which creates more capacity, not less.
And here’s the part that often gets underestimated…
Franchisee satisfaction goes up.
Not because things are easier, but because they’re more meaningful. Because progress feels earned. Because they’re building something they actually understand and can control.
That’s where real engagement lives.
That’s where stronger networks come from.
And that’s the difference between a system that depends on constant support… and one that grows because of it.
Why We’re Sharing This (Even Though It’s Only Half the Story)
This is the kind of work we do every day, helping brands step back, dig deeper, and build support systems that actually drive performance.
It’s not quick. It’s not easy. And it requires real commitment.
But the shift is happening.
More brands are ready to move beyond surface-level support. More coaches are ready to grow beyond just getting through the call. More teams are asking better questions and building more intentionally.
So we’re sharing a portion of what we cover.
Not all of it… but enough.
Because if it sparks a shift in how you’re supporting, developing, and building capability across your system…with or without us…
That’s a win.
Build a Support System That Develops Capability (Not Dependency)
If you’re reading this and realizing your support structure might be solving more than it’s developing… you’re not alone.
Most franchise systems don’t set out to create dependency, but without intentional design, that’s exactly what happens.
Building a strong field support model isn’t about asking your coaches to “just coach more.” It’s about creating the structure that makes that possible. Clear expectations. A defined coaching cadence. Consistent observation, evaluation, and feedback. And tools that help your team build capability, not just drive action.
That’s the work.
And it’s not quick or easy, but it’s what separates systems that scale from those that stall.
Ready to Shift from Solving Problems to Building Capability?
If this hit a little close to home, good.
That means you care, and that’s where great coaching starts.
The shift from being the person with all the answers to the one who develops others isn’t always intuitive. It takes practice, awareness, and the right tools to guide conversations that build thinking, ownership, and accountability.
That’s exactly why we built the Field Coach Certification Program.
It’s designed to help you strengthen both your business acumen and your coaching skillset so you can move beyond quick fixes and create real, lasting impact in the businesses you support.
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