ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9702040051
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: WORKING IT OUT
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
Q: My sales force is highly competitive. That would be good, except they've turned the competition against one another, even sabotaging each other. So, while some sales reps are beating records, overall sales aren't as high as they could be, and other companies are outselling us. I want them to work as a team, but I know I need to do more than just tell them to cooperate.
A: Competition, as you've noted, can benefit or seriously harm a company. To direct the competition in a healthier direction, examine and change your system as well as your sale speeches.
Before you create a plan of action, you'll need to uncover every way in which your organization rewards individual competition. Then look for ways to change those to group rewards.
Keep in mind that you're changing more than mindsets: You'll be changing your organization's culture.
One of the fastest ways to create internal cooperation is to define a common enemy. In your case your competitors make the perfect "enemy."
Who are your competitors? What do you know about them and their sales? You want to create an "us vs. them" mindset in your sales staff, so research the competition. In sales meetings, compare your organization's performance with your competitors'. Provide graphs and visual aids to demonstrate the problem. Elaborate on the strengths your staff brings to the situation. Make it clear you believe they have the talent to, as a group, outperform other organizations.
Enlist your staff in setting group goals. Brainstorm on ways the group can outproduce the competition. Create a strategic plan for "defeating" the competition.
Introduce group rewards. You can ask for cooperation, but if you continue to reward individual competition, you'll continue to see internal competition. When you do see cooperation, remark on it and use it as a positive example. Be alert to those who resist change. Everyone will lose something with the culture change. Those who lose the most may want to abandon the organization. Look for ways to ensure the group reward is sufficient enough to maintain everyone's loyalty.
Q: I've noticed a resurgence in cursing in some offices in my company. I find it offensive but don't know how to react. Please don't tell me that cursing is becoming, once again, popular.
A: Cursing is widely regarded as unprofessional. While an occasional profanity may slip out, frequent use is inappropriate. It's worse than inappropriate if profanity is directed at a person.
That's verbal abuse.
If cursing appears to be an accidental slip, it's best to ignore it. If it's habitual, but mild, react by raising an eyebrow, frowning and even saying "oh!" as if startled.
Those cues will let the professionally savvy individual reflect on his or her comments and alter future patterns.
If habitual cursing becomes intolerable - by content or frequency - mention it to your supervisor, the offender's supervisor, or to the offender directly. If you're offended, others are likely to be bothered as well. And cursing presents an unacceptable image of a company to customers.
The sooner the problem is addressed, the sooner it can be resolved.
Q: I just came out of a three-hour meeting that was pointless. We got off track, talked about meaningless issues and didn't address what we really needed to cover. I want to complain to my boss and to the chairman, but don't want to look like a whiner. I don't want to go through another meeting like that, either.
A: Before making your complaints public, consider what you could have done to move the meeting along and keep it focused. Meetings aren't just the responsibility of the chairman, they are the joint obligation of all who attend.
When you attend the next meeting, ask the leader how long it is expected to last. Note this on your agenda and look at your watch.
When participants veer from the subject for too long, remark that there's still a great deal to be addressed. Then ask what the next topic for discussion should be.
Your gentle prodding should help get the meeting back on track. If you treat this with a light touch, no one should mind your guidance. Chances are, many will appreciate your help.
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