I was trying to throw pennies into the fish bowl near my desk.
Again.
For no other reason than to see if I COULD.
In my defense, I WAS 10 years old.
And Ms. Millie, my 4th grade teacher, didn’t scold me. She just moved me. She had already learned that I couldn’t NOT do it. I was extremely distractible. And curious. Ridiculously so on both counts. This was pre-ADHD but I would have been the poster child for it.
If you know me, that’s not a big surprise.
Ms. Millie taught me a lot about managing sales people. If you manage your sales people as if they are 4th grade, ADHD kids, you won’t be disappointed. This may seem like odd advice, so let’s break it down into 3 easy lessons:
Give crystal clear direction: We often assume our teams clearly understand what we’re telling them to execute. Eg: We tell them to ‘Get with the Economic Buyer’ and everyone says ‘Yes!’ But they may have no idea how to carry this out. Sometimes what is clear to us, is NOT clear to your team. Slow it down and give directions in a paint-by-number fashion. First this, then this, and finally, do this. You know the old adage about making assumptions, but it’s also foolish and cruel. It’s not fair to anyone, including you.
Practice patience: People won’t ‘get it’ the first time you say it, even if they nod their heads. They got something but probably not what you truly meant. Explain it again. Explain it slowly. Explain it in different terms and associate it with the WHY. Ask them to restate what you’re asking and help them clarify. It takes time, much like learning to do anything new, such as walking or riding a bike. But no one got frustrated with you because they knew it was part of the process. Give the same courtesy to your people.
Set realistic expectations: Skills are built one on top of the other and that takes time. I am someone who has a tendency to teach too many topics in a workshop. I now only expect my students to grasp one concept and work on it until mastery is achieved. Give the same courtesy to your team. Whatever you are asking of them, make sure they work on that thing until it’s mastered. You have a lot on your plate, but flooding them with your ideas and demands will frustrate you and create a feeling of failure for them.
[Take Action Now!]
Go back to something you are asking your team or individuals to do. Review the instruction and expectations that you set. If you handed or explained it to me in the same way you did for them, would I understand it?
If what you’re asking can’t be understood by ADHD 4th graders, head back to the drawing board and start over using the 3 principles above.
While Ms. Millie is no longer with us, her legacy of patience and love lives on. Thank you Ms. Millie for understanding me, for loving me and for helping me become me. You were a saint then and will be one in my mind for eternity.
Will your teams say the same of you?
Imagine: How would it feel with less confusion in the day-to-day leadership of your teams if you put these concepts into practice? You will be in control of your very own classroom.
You up for it?
We are, of course, here to help you #BeBrave!
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Check out the latest episode on our podcast, UNCOMMON SALES SUCCESS! Subscribe and give us a review on iTunes, or visit https://spanthechasm.com/podcast to listen!