March 17th…

 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Here’s to green beer, Shamrock Shakes, and dyeing the Chicago River green.  Do you have a favorite St. Patty’s celebration? 

Ever wonder why the shamrock is associated with St. Patrick’s Day?  According to History.com: 

In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock. 

My wife is half-Irish.  Our family enjoys Irish traditions and affirmations, too: 

Irish Blessing:

May you never forget what is worth remembering, or remember what is worth forgetting.                            

Unknown (Irish) Sage 

I handle the remembering part OK.  It’s the forgetting part I struggle with.  

I still remember the second promotion I received in my sales career.  I was a “District Manager” (aka sales rep) for ADP when the company decided to establish a dedicated National Account segment.  The “National Account District Manager” experiment started with a single, outside hire.  He was my senior by 20 years; polished; articulate; very experienced in selling Burroughs hardware to large companies.  He quit within 6 months. 

You see ADP had a weekly sales cadence referred to as “Roll Call” back in the day.  Every Tuesday at 5pm, every sales rep in the country stood up at their local “Roll Call Meetings” and stated their sales for the week.  If I sold nothing, I had to “Pass” and feel the immense peer pressure of being among the few or even the only who didn’t “hit my number” that week. 

When ADP decided to sell up-market, the company refused to compromise on the weekly Roll Call cadence even though larger deals take longer to close.  ADP’s weekly cadence established a sense of urgency that was a key element to the company’s enviable growth and record string of year-over-year success.  The Burroughs Rep had never faced weekly Roll Call before.  He opted out. 

I was one among many internal reps who applied for the role next.  I had tagged along with the Burroughs Rep on a few sales meetings; I liked his eloquence.  I aspired to become a sales “professional” like him. 

Ultimately, I was selected.  I was one of only eight reps nationwide who became National Account District Managers to pilot this strategic initiative.  I was the youngest and least experienced of the eight.  Worse, I didn’t have the right image…  My attire was all wrong; I didn’t own Wingtips; my hairstyle was… well… youthful… 

 

Nonetheless: 

A good beginning is half the work.                              

Irish Proverb 

ADP’s Midwest Division President, Greg Pederson, while informing me of my promotion offered me a little guidance.  However, how he said what he said has been to this day unforgettable.  I can still hear his exact words: 

“Pokorn, you’re the best of the worst.  Get yourself a haircut; buy some new suits; you’ve got the job.” 

I also recall my exact response, “Greg, you really know how to motivate a guy.”  I went on to become the Top NADM and earned the company’s very first “Super Starts” award. 

My promotion didn’t take place on St. Patrick’s Day.  Still, when I read that Irish Proverb it triggers my memory.  Maybe Greg’s pep talk actually spurred me on to success throughout my career.  Is the Pederson name more Irish than Scottish? 

                                                GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.