The Circles That Make the Foundation for My Management Platform

So I’ve spent the last few of my blogs talking about learning, environments and my epiphanies about the correlation between sales and management.  Kind of a hodgepodge of thoughts but when I eventually put them together it formed the solid foundation upon which I would build my coaching and feedback philosophies.

To recap the path I took to this realization is actually pretty simple as it’s read but it was a long time formulating and putting this into something that was coherent.  Then it had to be dynamic; modifiable.  Then it had to be teachable. 

If you’ve ever looked at a book on drawing you probably remember drawing a series of circles and shapes to give you a rough outline and proportion of your subject.  An oval for the head; circles where the ears should go, etc.  That was your foundation.  Even if it didn’t come close to looking like the finished example you saw in that instruction book it sure looked better than before you drew your little series of shapes.  Here were my little circles.  I just had to find a way to put them together to form the picture I wanted:

·         Most people want to learn and are teachable

So often people are not given encouragement or feedback of any kind.  People get bored, feel unchallenged and are not supported in any way.  It could be an 11 year old boy not getting this support from his little league coach.  That 11 year old boy might eventually turn out to be an all star hitter someday but it’s usually because of external forces like private hitting coaches, practicing on his own, or simply playing for a more effective coach.  Often times they just get discouraged and give up.

·         You can’t motivate anybody but you can create a motivating environment

You try the quick fixes to improve your environment but it doesn’t work.  Or you “shock and awe” by bringing in a specialist or radically changing processes and procedures.  You give out rewards and kudos for a while and motivation and morale goes up but then it falls back after a short time.  You’re pushing water uphill and all that’s left is the puddle at the bottom.  You need to change the culture of your environment and it’s always a lot of work.  That’s why some managers won’t or don’t do this.

·         Don’t reinvent the wheel – do what other successful managers do

Even if you don’t have a mentor or are unfamiliar with your situation you can always get off your butt and do some research.  There are tons of forums, support groups, books, periodicals and seminars you can access.  Anything from how to effectively coach an agent to setting up your business in the most efficient manner.  You have more of a support group than you think too.  Your IT department, HR Generalist, and your peers can guide you.  Shut up and listen.

·         Put your own spin and flair on your job; personalize it

You will not stick to a diet if you don’t like the food.  Just because you’re copying a successful business plan doesn’t mean it has to be done just like your mentor or boss.  If you don’t make it personal to you then you definitely will resent it and at the worse stop doing it.  Your co workers will see your passion and be much more receptive if they see your buy in.  

·         If it doesn’t work modify it or stop doing it

You’re making this mistake if it’s the path of least resistance. Maybe it’s working just enough to keep your boss off your tail but it will eventually lead to failure.  These are dynamic times; we wear many hats and have to adjust accordingly.  If it’s not working stop and think about your options.  Stop and ask for directions like your wife (or hubby) told you to do 5 miles back.  It’s okay to ask for help and different opinions.

·         You need to be consistent

This starts with a plan.  Consistency is much more easily maintained if there’s a focus that everybody involved is aware of.  Coaching and feedback, rewards and recognition and other daily events should always be on schedule.  Also be prepared for changes in these routines.  Hardly anything is written in stone but you certainly should keep everybody in the loop when things take a different turn.  Are you changing key metrics at your client’s last minute request?  Have a plan before this happens on how you disseminate the information to your employees and how you will handle any changes in their coaching and feedback for example.  Including frequency.

·         You need to be fair

There’s always some group within the organization that appears to be the golden children.  There’s also somebody that seems to get more attention and kudos than others.  Be aware of this.  It’s a tough situation to be in but you can definitely take the focus off of these people by implementing a solid recognition and rewards program and by having specific focus groups, responding personally to suggestions, and performing other actions that include ALL employees.  Just remember what you do for one person or group you should do something similar for others.

·         You need to understand sometimes people choose not to learn

Some people cannot or chose not to play ball.  They are most of the times the core of your toxic environment and it doesn’t take many of them to foul up the carburetor.  Even the best coaching and support system makes no difference in their performance and attitude.  You gotta have a system in place to weed these people from your organization.

I’ve not gotten into any specifics here because everybody’s environment is different.  But everybody can build off the same solid foundation of circles whether you’re an outbound sales-focused call center or an inbound technical support center.

Take some time to draw on your own experiences from each of the above bullet points until you can come up with one or two examples.  It will only stick in your brain if you personalize it.  Take a chance and start changing some things that aren’t working for you now.  In my next blog I’ll start laying out the path I took after I turned all those circles into a final picture.