I worked for a very large Fortune 500 company. I started on the sales side of the business and worked my way up to the position of Division Sales Manager. At that time, there were 71 divisions, and the division I was assigned was number 69 on the list. Not a great place to start, but, hey, there’s only one way to go, right?
I knew that the bottom 10% had to speak to the VP of Sales weekly and knew there was no way I wanted any parts of a weekly conversation. The first team I was assigned had 25 District Sales Managers with an approximate revenue of $50 million in sales a year. I was advised to “manage out” my bottom three District Sales Managers and to start immediately looking for replacements. Having been a District Sales Manager myself, I had seen several peers “let go” for performance and knew I would rather Coach Up than Coach Out.
I chose NOT to look at numbers, goals, and productivity before sitting down and having conversations with all 25 of my managers. Conversations about family, past work experiences, where they “saw” themselves in the future, what they really wanted to accomplish that particular year and why they wanted it so badly, and what they felt was holding them back from being the success they shared they so desperately wanted (bonuses, BIG bonuses), I gained so much information that told me immediately, all they really needed was someone to guide them, teach them how to plan and focus on their strengths, work on 1-2 challenges at a time, and someone to support them and believe in them.
These three managers all had different personal goals, KPI’s and challenges. I knew the only way each one was to survive the “cut” was to work with them individually. To put them all on the same plan would never have worked. They each had a different territory with challenges all their own.
Once we got past the individual initial conversations, we (all 25 managers) then scheduled Goal Setting Meetings. The manager would decide what their personal goals were, and together we decided what the business goals would be. We developed the Action Plans that would ensure they would hit their KPI’s and goals. We scheduled meetings once every two weeks to “check in." During those check in meetings, we discussed what was working well (you must recognize your people! There is ALWAYS something positive to recognize), what they felt their challenges were, and what they needed to do to get back on track. We would either make up a deficit or continue the positive momentum.
The occasional phone call to inspire and instill trust that I truly wanted the best for them helped to build amazing connections with my managers. Listen, I have been working with people for over 30 years, and without trust, you might as well throw in the towel. Without someone cheering you on in good times and challenging times, without support, it makes people want to quit or do the absolute minimum required. When my three managers realized that I was in their corner, that I truly believed in them, their businesses turned around! My bottom three managers were on the move!
Staff meetings and conference calls, my “bottom three" were being recognized, and you could literally see the transformation within them as business managers and people. The confidence and self-pride they each had made me feel like a proud Momma. Observing their behaviors with their teams and the connections they each started to make with their people was astounding.
Bonuses started coming in, big bonuses. By the end of that first year, two of the three managers moved to the Top Five on our team of 25 and changed the trajectory of the rest of their careers.
So, I ask you, do you Coach Up or do you Coach Out? I have learned over the years that yes, sometimes someone is not a good fit for a certain position. However, if that employee is willing and wanting to learn, do better, be better, then as a leader, it is our responsibility to help them. And as a Leader, you need someone cheering you on to do better and be better. It starts at the top.
Had I "coached those three managers out," they wouldn’t have made the money they did, they wouldn’t have impacted the lives of so many others, and who knows, their own self-confidence could have tanked. It was truly a privilege to work with each of these three managers.
By the end of that year, our team had moved from number 69 out of 71 to in the top 3 in all KPI’s.
What I learned that first year is when you put your people first, know them, understand them, focus on their strengths and challenge them, you foster amazing relationships and results that elevate productivity, develop “want to” employees that come together as an unstoppable team. There’s nothing like an unstoppable team.
If you'd like the opportunity to help create team synergy, connect with me.