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MANAGEMENT


Manage the Elephant in the Room KEN BLANCHARD


My experiences as a corporate consultant have taught me that common sense isn’t always com- mon practice. Many companies have called me in to solve their problems even though the solutions were right in front of them all along.


Take a look at these examples and the lessons they taught, then apply them to some of your own problems – solving them might be simpler than you think.


HOT IN ALABAMA


An Alabama manufacturing company brought me in to tackle a persistent problem: the company’s 200 percent turnover rate. To find out why em- ployees were leaving faster than the company could hire them, I asked to speak with some of the workers and was asked, in return, “Why do you want to talk to them?”


After a few brief exchanges with the employees, I found out why they were so anxious to leave. It seems the manu- facturing floor was not air conditioned and, during the summer, the tempera- ture in the building climbed to well over 100 degrees. The employees indicated they would jump at the chance to get


14 | AUGUST 2019 SELLING POWER © 2019 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.


any other job they could find. When I reported back to manage- ment that their employees were leaving because of the heat on the manufacturing floor, the company installed air conditioners and the turnover rate went down. Lesson: Sometimes you need an outside expert to tell you what every- one else already knows. If any of the managers had simply bothered to ask their employees about the working conditions, they could have saved themselves a lot of money and head- aches. Take the time to observe your salespeople and ask them how things are going. Encourage them to come to you when they have a problem so you can solve it together.


A FAILURE IN CLARITY A corporate vice president asked me to work with one of his “problem”


employees. Before arranging to meet with the employee, I asked the VP to make a list of his expectations of the employee in order of priority. When I finally met with the em- ployee, I asked him what he felt his most important job responsibilities were. After he answered my question, I said, “That’s interesting. Here’s what your manager thinks you should be doing,” and handed him the list. After taking a moment to look over the list, the employee said, “This explains quite a lot.”


Several months later I asked the


vice president how his “problem” employee was doing. He replied, “Incredibly well – you really know how to work miracles.” Lesson: You can never communi- cate too clearly. Most comparisons of job responsibilities and their priorities between managers and employees have only a 40 percent overlap – at best. When you ask one of your salespeople to do some- thing, be crystal clear about what you want and when you want it. If your salesperson still seems unsure of what you want, ask clarifying questions to make sure he or she understands.


ROMAN SAMBORSKYI / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM


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