Change Nothing And Nothing changes
Week before last I conducted a seminar for new sales managers.
The transitional issues they were facing, while typical, were
nevertheless painful for them.
The purpose of our program was to help them identify and quantify their issues, then seek solutions to enable them to successfully make the transition from sales to management.
The best part of this learning experience for them was not the generic answers presented in the course, because one size simply does not fit all. Instead, the best part for each participant was identifying and prioritizing their problems and applying the principles we discussed to develop workable solutions for the most pressing problems.
As you can imagine, each solution required the manager with the problem to change something he or she was either doing or not doing. Examples are:
Unreasonably, they tended to resist the obvious solutions that required change. Generally, they resisted out of fear. Fear of confrontation, fear of being inadequate, fear of having to work too hard. There were lots of reasons.
Please think about your situation, Sarah.
What do you need to change to change your outcomes?
Here's a process that will help you get more of what you want.
1. Make a list of the outcomes and results you are getting now and prioritize the ones you are most dissatisfied with. (Earnings, recognition, better relationships, etc.)
2. Ask yourself, "Instead of what I'm getting now, what would I like to get? How important is this to me?
3. Then ask yourself, "What do I have to change to get this?" You may want to get some help from trusted associates or friends, and you will be surprised how obvious the answers are when you have someone you trust helping you.
4. Find a 'commitment partner', maybe the same person who helped you at step 3, and review your plans with them. What you are going to do, by when. Follow up every due date to be sure you have done what you committed to do.
Change nothing, and nothing changes.
Change something, and something else will change.
