Jump-Start Your Staff's Zest to do Their Best
When I met with Rosa Melendes, the regional sales director for a Fortune 500 company and one of my best clients, I picked up on an undercurrent of anxiety in her otherwise professional, capable demeanor.
“Tell me, Paul, what do you think of Jill?”
Salesperson Jill MacPherson had been part of Rosa’s team for ten years. Jill had always struck me as a loyal, dedicated worker and I didn’t hesitate to say so. While Rosa agreed, she was concerned. During Jill’s tenure, their company had been through a host of complex changes, including a merger, and it seemed to be taking its toll on Jill. For the last three quarters, Jill’s sales numbers hadn’t been where they should be, and Rosa was worried that Jill was losing her competitive edge. “Paul, I’m just not sure how to approach Jill about this. What do you think we should do?”
“Have you talked to Jill?” I asked. “Have you asked her how she feels about her performance?”
Rosa nodded. “Sure, I’ve asked Jill plenty of times what’s going wrong, and how I can help her. She earnestly tells me everything’s going well, and that she doesn’t need any help. Jill keeps telling me that she has lots of irons in the fire and I should be patient—but how long am I supposed to wait for her to get it together?”& |
