Monthly Archives: September 2006

Identifying the Deal Killers

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“Alright, let’s take a vote,” Ralph directed. I was sitting in the back of the room. I watched the hands go up in favor of Ralph’s plan. There was no dissent. Meeting adjourned.

Ralph was proud, no opposition, he picked up his stuff and strutted out of the room. And that’s when the truth came out. It started as a whisper, a snide remark, and then the piling on began. As it turned out, no one was in favor of Ralph’s plan.

“What do you mean?” Ralph said as I settled into his office.

“I don’t think your plan has a chance for success,” I replied. “As you left the room, I got to thinking, wondering if your plan had covered all the bases, in fact, if it was even the right decision.”

“But, everyone voted,” Ralph protested.

I nodded. “Do you think voting is the best way to make a decision?”

“Hey, it’s how we elect a president?”

I smiled and repeated, “Do you think voting is the best way to make a decision?”

“Well, do you have a better way?” Ralph challenged.

“I was just looking at your four alternatives. You know, there were two things that were absolute deal killers and the one you picked doesn’t meet the criteria.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it this way, Ralph. Put up a big chart on the wall and make a quick list of all the things that absolutely, positively have to be a part of the solution. Deal killers. Then make a list of all the things that are not absolute, but would be really nice to have. Now you have two lists, absolutes and desirables.

“Take your four alternatives and put them up against the criteria and see how things shake out.”

Ralph didn’t say a word. His eyes got wide. I could see him mentally checking his quick list. “I think I need to bring the team back in the room. I think they voted for a mistake.”

I was ready to explain the process in more detail, but Ralph was already headed for the conference room. -TF

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Registrations for our next Management program (www.workingmanagement.com) will be closing out this Friday. Registrations for our next Sales program (www.workingsales.com) will close out next Monday. Sign up early.

Management Is A Social Act

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“Management is a social act.” –Lisa Haneberg, Management Craft.

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When I arrived, she was in her office with a clear desk. Ellen was curious. She had a new department and had real concerns about a smooth transition. She started the conversation before I settled into a chair. “You promised a powerful tool, today.”

I nodded, “Yes, I did. Today we are going to talk about conversation.”

“Conversation?” Ellen looked puzzled.

“Most everything a manager accomplishes is done through conversation. Think about it Ellen. When you set goals with your team, you engage in conversation. When you troubleshoot a problem on the line, you engage in conversation. When you hold a team member accountable for performance, you engage in conversation. The ability of a manager to engage in meaningful, genuine conversation translates into effectiveness.”

“Well, I know how to talk to people,” Ellen retorted.

“Talking to people and engaging people are different levels of conversation. We spoke the other day about showing genuine interest in each of your team members. It is the beginning of all the other conversations you will have with each person as their manager.

“By the way, it is a skill that can be learned.” -TF

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Registration is filling for both our programs in Fort Lauderdale. The Management program (www.workingmanagement.com) kicks off on September 25, the Sales program (www.workingsales.com) kicks off September 27.

Getting Engaged in Work

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“I am good at planning. I am good at delegating. I am good at making decisions, but I am not good at this warm and fuzzy stuff,” explained Ellen. We had been talking about her new department. The grapevine said some people were nervous and some might quit if they didn’t like her.

“Look, the point of management is not to win a personality contest, but if you want to get people engaged in their work, you have to get engaged with them.” I stopped to see if Ellen had a pulse. I could see by her body language that this was uncomfortable.

“But, I always thought it best not to get too close to my people. It just seems easier to be objective if I don’t really know too much about them, especially their personal lives,” Ellen continued.

“It seems easier to be objective? Or it just seems easier to be insensitive?” I asked. “The point is not be a huggy bear. The point is to gain willing cooperation from your team members, both together and as individuals.

“Does your company have a mission statement?” Ellen nodded.

“And does your department have its own mission statement?”

“Yes,” Ellen replied.

“Do things work better if the team mission statement supports the company mission statement?”

“Well, of course.”

“Ellen, believe it or not, your team members have their own personal mission statements. For most it is just rattling around in their head. Would things work better if their personal mission statement supports the team mission statement?”

“Well, I suppose, but how do I find that out?”

“That’s what engagement is all about. If you want your team to be engaged in their work, you have to be engaged with them. Meet me here tomorrow. We will talk about how to do that with the most powerful tool you have as a manager.” -TF

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Spaces are filling for our Management program (www.workingmanagement.com) which kicks off September 25. I would also like to announce our new Sales program (www.workingsales.com) which kicks off here in Fort Lauderdale on September 27. Find out more by visiting the links.

Genuine Interest

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“I am taking over a new department,” explained Ellen. “It’s not a promotion, just a new department. I heard through the grapevine that some people are off-balance wondering what life is going to be like under my direction. Two people said they might quit. How do I let them know that I am not going to be some micro-managing monster?”

“You could wear a sign,” I suggested.

Ellen laughed. “Be serious. I want to let them know that I am not some control freak boss.”

“It sounds backward,” I started, “but instead of telling them about you, why don’t you find out about them?”

Ellen looked puzzled.

“Look, you may be under the microscope. If you become genuinely interested in each of your team members, you will accomplish two things. First, the focus will immediately shift away from you. Second, asking questions about them will speak volumes about you.” -TF

One Simple Question

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Follow-up to yesterday’s posting from the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
What do you feel are truly the most effective skills that I need to think about as a new sales manager?

Response:
Yesterday, I posted the list. Today, let’s talk some details.

I listed hiring and firing at the top of the list. The most important skill for any manager is to develop the ability to select the right team members. The manager who selects the right team members makes all other management skills seem like a walk in the park.

The manager who selects the wrong team members will forever spend time trying to fix the problems that come from hiring mis-steps. And that time spent trying to motivate, coach and correct behavior will be the most frustrating thing in the world.

Take a sports team and put them up against any other team. To pick the team who will win the game, you only have to know the answer to one simple question.

Who is on the team?

Hiring and firing are at the top of the list. Arguably, the most important skill. -TF

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September 25, 2006 kicks off our next Management Class in Fort Lauderdale. Register at www.workingmanagement.com.

New Manager?

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

I am currently a sales representative with a prospective position as a sales manager over the next few months. I would be managing a sales force of approximately 10 people with 2-3 products using a fairly new selling process. It is tailored to think about WHY a customer makes a buying decision versus delivering a scripted message. This sales model incorporates detail aids (printed material) along with the use of television ads in the future. I have to begin to think about WHY I am ready for a district sales management position. What do you feel are truly the most effective skills that I need to think about as a new sales manager?

Response:

Being a Sales Manager requires a totally different skill set than being an effective sales rep. Many good sales reps have ruined their sales careers by being promoted to Sales Manager. Let me run my short list by you and then we will open it up for suggestions.

  • Hiring
  • Firing
  • Establishing accountabilities (targets)
  • Training
  • Evaluating performance
  • Coaching performance
  • Building a team
  • Running effective meetings
  • Reviewing and adjusting the sales model

We will spend the next couple of days looking at these skills in more detail. Meanwhile, I know several readers have made that transition and will have some helpful recommendations. Please leave comments. -TF

The Two Pieces of Appreciation

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Kurt, one of our readers from Belgium responded to our post Appreciation Feels Goofy.

In our country, we’re not educated to give positive feedback, not even at school. And it’s so much easier to see faults than to see strengths. Hopefully the next generation of managers gets their people to smile in a more natural embedded way. Out of experience, I know I perform better when people give me positive feedback rather than being a bully.
I don’t believe appreciation is taught in any country, at least not as a subject in school. Yet, positive reinforcement is one of the most powerful management tools.

What gets reinforced, gets repeated.

In my class, I often ask, “Who, here, has been getting too much appreciation from their boss at work.” It draws stifled laughter.

Rule number one. The appreciation must be honest and sincere. Honest and sincere appreciation contains two parts.

The first part is to tell the team member specifically what you observed (as a strength, a desirable behavior, a positive attitude). The second part (the sincere part) is the tell the team member why. Why was your observation remarkable?

That’s it,

A specific what.

A remarkable why.

A team member shows up for work early. It sounds like this:

I see you arrived ten minutes early for work today. It’s important to be on time. I just wanted you to know that I noticed.

What gets reinforced, gets repeated. -TF

The Telltale Sign

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Justin greeted me at the front door. His energy level was up and he had that telltale smile.

“Justin, how can you tell the difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement? In terms of response from the team member?”

Justin was searching for the answer. He was retracing his steps, thinking about interactions he had with his team members. I interrupted his thought.

“Let me ask the question differently,” I said. “How can you immediately tell the difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement? What is the immediate response to positive reinforcement?”

Justin was still thinking way too deeply for the answer.

I continued my interrogation. “Yesterday, you were describing yourself as politically incorrect and I said ‘I appreciate your honesty.’ Do you remember?”

Justin cracked a smile. “Yes, I thought you were going to give me a lecture on negative reinforcement. Instead, you started talking about my honesty.”

“See, you did it.” I observed.

“Did what?” Justin responded.

“You smiled. The immediate response to positive reinforcement is a smiling face. Many managers think they are delivering positive reinforcement to their team members, but I see scowls in return. Positive reinforcement invites a smile. If you don’t get a smile, you didn’t connect.” -TF

Appreciaton Feels Goofy

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“But I am not the kind of person who is all warm and fuzzy,” explained Justin. “If someone does a good job, that is what they get paid for. Why do I have to get all blubbery? It just feels goofy.” We were talking about the difference between positive and negative reinforcement.

“As a manager, when someone makes a mistake, do you have to correct them?” I asked.

“Well, yes. That’s what a manager does.”

“And when you correct them, do they do it right, or do they just do it well enough not to get yelled at?” I prodded.

“It’s strange, in the short run, they do better, but it doesn’t take long for them to backslide, take a short cut on a process, skip a step. It keeps me pretty busy, checking their work.” Justin wasn’t being defensive, just very matter of fact.

“So, it feels funny, giving honest and sincere appreciation, but it feels okay providing a little negative feedback?”

Justin grimaced. He didn’t like the way that sounded. “I suppose you are right,” he agreed. “But that is just the way I am.” In a way, he felt justified, even sat up straighter when he said it.

“I appreciate your honesty, Justin.” I smiled.

Justin couldn’t help it and cracked a smile back. “I thought you were going to tell me I was politically incorrect.”

“I am looking for something much more than political correctness. Being politically correct won’t make you a better manager. That’s why I focused on something more powerful, your honesty. Honesty will make you a better manager. Honest and sincere appreciation. Meet me here tomorrow and we will make that connection.” -TF

It’s a Skill Set

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Timo Söderlund, from Ebit Management, in Sweden, captured an important point in his comment posted last week. It was in response to our series about Cheryl, a technical troubleshooter who was recruited to improve throughput for a manufacturing company.

This is what you see quite often. An excellent salesman is promoted to become sales manager. It may work, but it may also fail. If you, at a certain age, have developed your skills and love the things you are doing – as a specialist or expert, and then start doing something else – like becoming a manager – I question if it can be “trained” into that person to become as successful a manager as he or she was before, in their field of expertise. A manager – in my view – is more concerned in people, their interaction, and the performance of the “team” – and this is quite far away from being an expert in a certain technical or administrative field.

In our classroom program, I have seen a number of technical and engineering people thrust into the role of management. Though they are extremely bright, this new management role requires a completely different skill set.

And it is a skill set of behaviors that can be learned. Interesting, I find that once learned, these skills have a transforming effect on the manager, as a person.

Beginning tomorrow, I will spend a few days exploring the role of positive reinforcement. “What gets measured gets done, but what gets reinforced, gets repeated.” -TF

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Our next management program begins in Fort Lauderdale on September 25. For registration information, please visit www.workingmanagement.com.