Employee Engagment:
A Leadership Series
Number Eleven of Twelve, for Sure!
Approximate reading time: 2 minutes
In This issue:
- Managing Involvement - The Time Factor
- Lessons from Sales, II
- More FSTD Content: Blog Posts
- Upcoming Public Workshops
Over the past 10 weeks we looked at some easy-to-follow guidelines which will help you determine just how much involvement is appropriate.
Nine weeks ago we said, and I quote “But, first, why is asking you to involve your people in the tough choices truly sage advice? Because, as a general rule, as Involvement goes up, so does Commitment.”
But, do you have all the time in the world to make all your tough choices? No! That leads us to the third element of the “rule”. As Involvement goes up, Commitment increases, and it will take more Time to select the best course of action.
Because Time is such a scarce resource, the challenge you, as a leader, face is juggling Involvement and Time to achieve the level of Commitment required so your team’s choices are successfully implemented.
Time can be “won or lost” by you, the leader. You lose time in the long run if you choose a course of action without adequate information. Why? Re-work down the line. You win time when you involve your team appropriately. Why? A committed team, by nature, works more effectively.
For today’s tip, and here comes that ole dead horse again, “involve your people in the tough choices”. You will gain commitment, and, in the long run, "win time".
Next week we’ll tie these past eleven week’s “pearls of wisdom” together.
Lead On!
 George
George posts regularly to the blog at TroubleShootingLogic.com. |
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Lessons in Sales, II:
Defining the Problem
Whose Job is It, Anyway?
Last week, we presented you with a four-question, True/False “test.” The fourth question was “TRUE/FALSE: All sales efforts do not come down to you or anyone else. There is a clear sales process that is not dependent on any one person. Should the senior sales person leave, or he or she get “hit by lightning,” it won’t be a problem. The program goes on.”
Did that one stop you in your tracks? If you’re like most small- to medium-sized
businesses, or like virtually all family run businesses, you probably said “ouch!” This is the one that keeps
you awake at night, assuming that there is enough business coming in the door to make payroll.
The truth is, the business pipeline frequently depends upon one or two key individuals. This person(s) has built a network, is known in the community, is current with business opportunities, speaks convincingly about the product/service, and can bring a high percentage of qualified leads to a successful close. No one else seems to have that “gift.” If (WHEN) that person leaves, you’re “up a creek.”
If you’re a business owner, the good news is that this person is probably you. You may have started the business yourself, and its success to this point is due to your skill
in finding prospects, educating them and closing the deal.
It’s also the bad news. Because the pipeline depends upon you, you have no exit strategy. The task before you is both simple (in concept) and challenging (in execution): you must transfer your skill sets – those aspects of sales which you do so well and so naturally – to others in your organization.
You must develop a system to hold everyone accountable. Forward looking companies are extending this concept: rather than relying on a small group of dedicated sales people to keep business flowing, they are finding ways to get everyone involved in the sales process.
How well you transfer those skills and develop that system determines your final end point. Our strategic partner Elizabeth Allen of
MarketSmartz has been studying successful entrepreneurs, their marketing and sales processes, and their challenges in growing (and ultimately, leaving) their businesses for over a decade. She used these lessons to develop the
Sales CODE system.
We have benefited from using CODE – it enabled us to weather the 2009 recession and come out stronger. Our clients have benefited – some would otherwise have had to close their doors. And now you benefit: the Sales CODE system is one of the main sources of the
sales lessons we share with you.
For now, consider how you define your “sales problem.” You can define it as a need to “get more sales.” Or you can see it as an opportunity to “get others appropriately involved” in the sales process.
How you define the problem determines your company’s sales trajectory and, ultimately, your
success.
To Your Continued Growth,
Rob
PS. I will be presenting two workshops on the CODE sales process at the upcoming National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Conference in Louisville, KY on September 2, 2010. If you are in the area, please consider joining us at that event. Email me if you'd like further details. |
- Trouble Shooting Logic
- August 24-26, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- September 20-22, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- October 25-27, 2010, Atlanta, G
- The Sales CODE, September 14-15, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- Performance Coaching, September 23-24, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- Mastering Involvement, October 28, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- Trouble Shooting Logic Train-the-Trainer (T3), November 8-19, 2010, Atlanta, GA
- Experiential Expertise Train-the-Trainer (T3) - Openers, Initiatives and Low Elements - November 30-December 1, 2010, Utica, MS
- Experiential Expertise Train-the-Trainer (T3) - Trust, Low Ropes, High Ropes and AlpineTower - December 2-3, 2010, Utica, MS
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