I’ve always responded best to people who lead by example in the workplace. I find it harder to relate to individuals who are always willing to offer advice on strategies (often unsolicited) when it seems that they rarely, if ever, follow their own words.
I often think back to my experiences back in my high school days playing sports. The coaches that took the approach of yelling and kicking objects over to get a point across never made an impact on me. When the crap hit the fan, I found that those coaching personalities rarely knew what to do to solve the problem… other than yelling more. I always felt that I was demonstrating the desire and motivation to be part of the team by showing up and doing the best I could. I didn’t need someone yelling in my ear to get me motivated; instead I needed guidance to hone my skills and make me understand what needs to improve.
Like any good coach, a solid boss or inside sales manager shouldn’t micromanage. At times, we all may need a solid boot in the arse for some periodic motivation if we’re off course, but in general, we should all have the burning desire inside of us to be successful. Otherwise, what’s the point of showing up?
Ultimately, what we owe our employees is a defined understanding of what we want from them. Since I’ve moved into a broader operations role here at AG Salesworks, I find myself battling bigger concepts that I’m responsible for explaining to the team. Rather than measuring individual performance of our clients or of an inside sales rep, I’m evaluating overall performance that has 10 times the inputs. Don’t get me wrong: I love the challenge. But being in the role means I don’t have as much direct control over what I always feel is needed to drive success. What I’ve found is that I need to be more comfortable than I’ve ever been with letting others drive the bus.
My content marketing manager recently shared a cool quick read from Seth Godin’s blog: “Don’t do what I said, do what I meant.”
I feel this saying articulates the struggles for folks taking on new roles with broader challenges. Seth speaks to getting everyone on the same page. Ultimately, you want a team of people that can clearly see the objective and understand the reasoning behind it.
I guess what I’ve learned, not surprisingly, is that not everyone thinks the way I do. When managing a team full of different personalities, my first responsibility is for them to understand my goals and objectives, along with the “why” behind them. If you feel that message isn’t getting through to your team, then as Seth says, “The failure is yours.” Think about how you’re communicating that message. Shouting instructions most likely isn’t going to be effective. A clear message and goal, plus the freedom to execute it, should be what we’re all striving for as leaders and managers in sales.
