Everest Training & Coaching

Plant floor Leaders - giving praise

2010-06-22T13:38:00.003-04:00

With the plant floor leaders we are coaching (a.k.a. supervisor) it is a real struggle to catch someone doing something right and giving them the appropriate feedback praise. I have told them to use the One Minute Manager five penny approach. The one floor leader reported that he was thinking of praising someone as he drove into work, he did praise them then the day's challenges surfaced and he forgot all about praising. Why is praising so difficult in US businesses? How else can we break this trend?

Plant Floor Leadership

2010-05-26T10:24:00.002-04:00

It is always great to hear feedback that the coaching is working. A plant manager reported that during a discussion with a plant floor leader concerning re-assigning him from the day shift to the second shift (3:00pm to 1:30am) the plant floor leader asked, "what is your expectations of me on the second shift?" It seems my focus on coaching them to: set goals, responsibilities and performance expectations is getting through!

Emotions: being a sales team leader

2010-05-24T10:26:00.003-04:00

One of the sales team leaders I am coaching remarked that she always tries to keep emotions out of the equation when working with her sales team: just focusing on data and facts. It is interesting that we have tons of books, webinars, programs, etc on emotional intelligence beginning with Goldman's book in 1995; yet the leaders and managers I am coaching are uncomfortable consciously integrating emotions into the workplace. Maybe that is why they need coaching!

revenue vs number of contacts - lots of discussion

2010-05-07T09:31:00.002-04:00

I posted the question of revenue vs number of contacts (see blog of 5-3) on several linked in groups - over 40 responses. Other than the usual off-track comments by some that either didn't read my original post, didn't understand it, or just wanted to promote their programs, the comments seemed just about evenly divided between measuring number of contacts and revenue. The challenge is to link some type of measurable performance to the revenue expectations; my perception is the organization I am coaching doesn't know the "numbers" as potential clients move thru the sales funnel.

Measure value based selling behaviors, # of contacts of revenue?

2010-05-03T15:30:00.002-04:00

A recent client established an arbitrary contact level for his value based sales representatives; 15 contacts on existing customers per week to retain business, 25 contacts with prospects to attract new business. First, I feel 40 contacts on a weekly basis is too much; especially if they are to be face-to-face and have some content. But this is a measurement of activity that many sales organizations focus on and I agree that all sales is a numbers game - the more you contact the more business you will get. There is also a monthly revenue objective that includes annualized revenue to retain a client and the dollar value of new business. In my opinion this is quantity vs quality of sales visits. There must be a critical mass of client and prospect contact but 40 seems arbitrary and would produce more of a "howdy call". How would your sales force react if you told them, "I don't care how many calls you make, as long as you make the revenue target."

Team Leader - formal and informal network

2010-04-22T12:49:00.002-04:00

A Manufacturing shop leader, previously known as the manufacturing manager, was having a difficult time getting action from the set-up committee he chaired. Our review first revealed a committee of 15; too much political overtones in this size committee meeting. We then constructed the formal hierarchical structure of the committee (with him at the top) and the informal structure: where the influencing and deciding elements really are in the committee. We discovered that one of the engineers was the key in getting agreement from sub-groups like the set-up team, maintenance group and training coordinators. Now he is observing every committee to discover the informal structure.

Sales coaching - is it worth it?

2010-04-15T13:10:00.003-04:00

I have been asked to coach a sales manager that is leading a team selling a commodity level service to commercial and industrial accounts. The skill assessment profile from three of her four sales reps. feel she either needs improvement or is weak in 14 out of 15 skills they deemed very important for a sales manager. She rated her performance in the same areas as competent to strong. My concern is that even if she morphed into a Tom Izzo level coach, they would not be open minded to accept her new behaviors. And my reputation as a coach that gets results could be diminished. A real challenge, will have a conversation with her regional VP about my concerns.

Team leader - leadership on the shop floor

2010-04-07T07:13:00.002-04:00

Here is what we are finding in the Tier I & II's of the auto industry. After the downsizing and reduced hours of 2007 - 09, customer demand is picking up, however, hiring for the old jobs is being resisted. Where once was a manufacturing manager, production supervisor and 4 team leaders, now is a production manager and 2 team leaders (one on each shift.) And this effort to get more production with less requires more skills in the "people" side of the business that before.

Relationship Selling Skills

2010-04-03T08:03:00.002-04:00

The results of an Internet search on Relationship Selling produced articles and websites that basically described all the traditional steps in a sale as relationship selling. To me, relationship selling is more of creating a mind share inspired by feelings of competency, trust and that you are the "go to" guy for the product or service. This is true especially for commodity type offerings, like financial advice, loans, attorneys and any other services that are highly competitive.

Business acumen - Hospital supervisors

2010-04-01T10:15:00.003-04:00

We have been reviewing job descriptions for hospital supervisors (Clinical Lab Supervisor, Nursing Supervisor, Administrative Supervisor, etc) and what we don't find is anything that identifies a supervisor's responsibility of making their unit or team more cost effective. There is language addressing tour assignments but nothing that we can see that rewards supervisors for making good decisions that balance patient care and cost containment.

team leader - leverage emotions

2010-03-31T13:09:00.002-04:00

Co-facilitating with the team leaders I am currently coaching, a brainstorming session with their teams on process improvement (Tier II auto supplier) by first getting them in a good mood to brainstorm then have them get in bad moods to critic and analyse the ideas. Too bad we don't have a "control" group to test!

Business acumen: supervisors, managers, leaders

2010-03-30T10:45:00.001-04:00

Many first line supervisors / team leaders don't have direct budgetary responsibilities, but they impact significantly the financial health of the organization. Consequently, first line people feel if the company doesn't trust them with financial responsibilities it is someone's problem and they don't include financial ramifications in their decision making. Organizations are missing a significant resource to help cut costs. We always include business acumen in our skills development, even if they don't have budgetary responsibility, because of the supervisor's / team leader's impact on the company financials.

Team leaders using emotion

2010-03-29T10:13:00.002-04:00

Reflecting on the skills training and development of team leaders, supervisors and managers that we interface with during training and their desire to acquire the skills to deal with people issues. Understanding their emotions, the emotions of associates on their team and using the knowledge in thinking to solve problems and make decisions is challenging. many times we hear, "just tell me what to say so they (associates) will do what I ask." Not that simple (wish it was!!)

2010-03-26T08:24:00.002-04:00

The more we work with organizations world wide in value based sales skills and negotiating confirms our feeling that successful selling and negotiating depends on being able to identify the client's benefit to gain or loss to avoid. If there is no benefit or loss there is no deal.

Emotions in selling, managing, leading

2010-03-25T13:03:00.003-04:00

Emotions are such a big part of dealing with people. And some things never change, peers still give advise about not showing feelings in business issues; yet it is a critical part of persuading and influencing.