Intensity …

A few years ago I participated in a week of sales training that included intensity – planned and unplanned.  It was during a time our company was re-organizing.  Re-orgs are intense, yes? 

That intensity helped set the stage for the training.  The trainers leveraged additional techniques including role plays (everybody’s favorite LoL!), shocking movie scenes, and blaring music to insure we paid attention and didn’t wander: 

My mind often wanders and sometimes leaves me all together. 

Unknown Sage 

The training was excellent.  More importantly, the leadership team succeeded in creating a safe environment enabling us to take our mind off of the re-org and practice new skills in front of our peers without fear of judgement: 

At 10,000 feet above sea level, there is a saying about the city of Leh in the Himalaya Mountains:  The passes are so high and the land is so barren, only a dear friend or serious enemy will reach here. 

Bryan Walsh 

All was going as planned until the last 15 minutes of the last day and a final moment of unplanned intensity.  Our VP asked for general feedback on the week and the group responded with unanimously positive responses.  She then asked for specific feedback on one particular session that I for one was negatively impacted by; shaken actually.  The room went quiet. 

I don’t think her choice to zero in about this one session was coincidental; I suspected she had suspicions.  She asked if it was “too much” – and a moment of intensity ensued. 

It’s hard to give negative feedback to your superiors, true?  It’s even harder in a group setting, among colleagues most of whom you have just met.  Fear during a re-org; worry over expressing yourself appropriately; concern over being misunderstood; all contribute to the intensity.  Peer pressure even for the most experienced can be intimidating: 

If you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road. 

Ed Lazowska 

Trustingly, I felt she was genuine in her desire to receive feedback.  I thought my new teammates would see I was a “dear friend” and not a “serious enemy” in trying to improve the training course. 

I took a deep breath; paused; thought about how to word my response; made eye contact; and then spoke up.  I was the only one to do so.  Intense. 

My response was – Yes; too much; and then I explained... 

I believe when conducting business-to-business training, we should avoid personal references to death; battlefield casualties; cancer; disabilities; mental illness; divorce; and sexual innuendo.  The trainers had woven all of these stimulants into the session in question to artificially increase the intensity. 

As trainers, we’re being watched.  We don’t know our audience personally.  In today’s day and age if we are not mindful, our audience can take things personally; be offended; shaken actually: 

Don’t wait for the last judgment.  It takes place every day. 

Albert Camus 

Coincidentally, the training in question occurred on the very morning of the Santa Fe Texas High School shooting.  Plenty of military style, references to killing dominated the news.   Coincidently, one of my colleagues told me that week he was going through a nasty, heart breaking divorce.  Coincidently, another colleague told me her best friend was just diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Coincidentally that very day was the birthday of one of the trainer’s sons who suffers from a devastating mental illness; bi-polar disorder.  My son. 

Life is intense enough – sales training doesn’t need to go there. 

GAP 

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

How’s your day been?

Three years ago last Saturday, I was in an earthquake in Mexico City; a 7.1.  How do you work that into casual conversation?  

September 19, 2017 at 1:15 pm local time, a powerful earthquake shook the bejeezus out of my training class; our lunch break; my colleagues and me!  Thankfully, no one in our group got hurt. 

Unfortunately, there were many in Mexico City and surrounding states that did get hurt; over 200 people killed; hundreds perhaps thousands injured.  According to The Guardian ©; 

It was the second major earthquake to hit Mexico in two weeks and came on the anniversary of the 1985 quake that devastated Mexico City, killing 5,000 people and destroying 10,000 homes. 

In fact, because of that 32^nd anniversary; commemorating that devastation; we actually had an emergency evacuation drill at 11am in 2017.  Just about 2 hours before the real thing hit again! 

During the episode, I wasn’t afraid; but I was not brave either.  I was conscious of the fact we were experiencing an earthquake – on the 19^th floor of a hotel no less.  What started out feeling like a freight train passing by, causing the table to vibrate, quickly erupted into what seemed like a prolonged period of ferocious shaking; I could not keep my feet. 

Those much braver than I were calling out; directing us towards the archway leading into the room.  Firmly they instructed us to move away from the windows; calmly, they reassured us that we will be alright. 

I remember looking out the window and seeing the glass buildings across the plaza actually swaying.  It was surreal; it reminded me of that scene in movie The Matrix when the helicopter crash caused a ripple through the façade of a glass office tower. 

My overriding feeling today is one of disappointment.  So many had invested so much before the earthquake hit – and after.  Gustavo Moussalli, out Latin American Division Director and the executive sponsor for the class had made a huge commitment to his local partners; coordinating a 3-day enablement class to support their success.  

Gerardo Diez Martinez, our local Channel Manager made all the arrangements.  The meeting rooms and set-up; AV equipment; food and beverage; Gerardo spared no expense to insure we would have everything we needed for his partners. 

My colleague Susanna Lagtapon sacrificed time away from her daughter’s 13^th birthday; traveling instead to join us for the class.  Our colleague, Tony Caporal, with cooler head and bravery, prevailed following the earthquake.  He helped us retrieve our laptops and luggage.  (Even stopping at the lobby bar to grab a free beer on his way out of the hotel.) 

Our VP, Brian Enright, was our “home base”; coordinating flights out of town; hotel reservations; and anything else he could do to support us from afar. 

And especially Hector Garcia from our long-time partner NetSoft.  Hector insisted on personally driving us to the airport; would not hear of us taking a taxi or a bus.  He would navigate us through the city streets; on constant vigil for our safety.  Three hours to drive us 12 kilometers.  Three hours in the opposite direction from his own home and family – taking us in his care. 

As with all disasters, there were many heroes – named and unnamed.  But that was 2017; Mexico City; and an earthquake.  Today, it’s another crisis; another natural disaster; another conflict. 

We are all thankful for so many first responders and other heroes – named and unnamed.  May God bless them all. 

GAP 

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Inspection is a bitch…

I was chatting with a friend and colleague of mine recently.  He has risen through the ranks to the level of Vice President.  Only a very few at my company earn their way up the “corporate ladder”.  He called, as he has been doing once or twice each year to ask, “What would Gary do…?” 

My friend has never managed Directors and Managers before.  He has been one, but now he’s their VP.  Being promoted over former peers can be awkward.  Some of his former peers are his friends; some feel they should have been promoted instead of him; you know… the usual 😊 

Nonetheless, now he’s in charge; setting the direction and the priorities of his team; expecting his Directors and Managers to implement said direction and priorities.  Adding to the challenge is his front-line salespeople across his entire organization average less than 3 years of experience.  Big quota; many expectations; young and inexperienced salespeople… now what? 

His ask was simple, “Gary, what do you think is the single most important thing I should focus on?”  My response was simple too… just not easy to do.  “Inspection”. 

Inspection is a skill that I don’t see being talked about in the volumes and volumes of today’s social media posts.  I suspect that’s because “inspection is a bitch”!  No one, myself included, enjoys being inspected.  No one deserves to be ignored either.  Not all inspection is negative, but they’re best done specifically.  It takes skill navigating between correction and acclaim. 

When inspection is done right it creates an uncomfortable level of tension between the inspector and the inspectee.  I believe it’s within those moments of tension that learning takes place.  Unfortunately, inspection is too often overlooked: 

Perhaps the greatest mistake I've seen executives make is to confuse expectations with inspection. 

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. 

To this day, I can remember the single worst business meeting of my entire career.  It took place in Cleveland at a time when I was a Sales Director.  The previous year we achieved a President’s Club performance and I was promoted from a Manager to a Director.  But that was then as they say… 

The meeting in Cleveland was our periodic “Operations Review” by my Division VP and the National VP, along with members of the sales operations staff.  We were given a template to prepare our information for review.  It was obvious, my team’s current year performance was going to make this Ops Review (aka inspection) a bitch. 

I went into the meeting poorly prepared.  Worse, although my Division VP offered to coach me ahead of time, I was too proud; too overconfident from the previous year to accept his offer.  Add-in a few technical difficulties of getting my presentation set-up in the conference room and the stage was set for the single worst business meeting I’ve had in my entire career. 

These two Vice Presidents’ approach was not an interrogation; nor were they mean-spirited.  These same people approved my promotion the year before.  But…  they could see all the weaknesses in my team’s performance – and my corresponding leadership – and they directed their inspection in a methodical… specific… relentless… no B.S. accepted… no excuses… nowhere to hide… way… to insure (after 2 tough hours) I saw my weaknesses, too. 

Yep, that inspection was a bitch.  And THAT was when my learning took place on the importance of inspecting what we expect.  Do you inspect? Or just expect? 

GAP 

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

Dates never forgotten…

September 11, 2001 - we still remember.  What dates are never forgotten for you?  

In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities © is the contrast, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…” both occurring at the same time.  For Americans, 9/11 2001 seems like a demarcation point between the best of times before that morning and the worst of times after.  That’s when terrorism literally collided into freedom. 

Do you remember where you were when news of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centers in New York was broadcast?  I always will.  In a flash our generation was tested on what we can endure during the worst of times.  December 7, 1945 tested my parent’s generation; October 24-29, 1929 tested my grandparents’.  On a more personal level April 20, 1999 was the worst of times for my home town. 

It’s amazing what we can accomplish during the best of times; and what we can endure during the worst of times.  The bad times help us appreciate and enjoy the good times.  Here’s how Ernest Hemingway phrased it: 

Life breaks us.  And when we heal, we’re stronger on the broken parts. 

Our ability to gain strength from adversity should come as no surprise, though.  Our ancestry is made of up generations who endured and then grew stronger. Is today’s adversity comparable to theirs? 

For many of us who did not suffer a direct loss of loved ones from these tragic events, our hardships now come in the form of inconvenience and economics.  We work harder today to keep up than we did before; travel has become more difficult; guns are all too prevalent in our society; and in 2020 along came a virus.  Racial injustice has reached a boiling point. 

Things we once dreamed of seem further from our reach.  We have extended our resources close to the breaking point.   But for America, that’s nothing new.  Our country has been on the brink; had parts broken; and healed back stronger for as long as we have been a country.  Were the hardships of the Revolution, the Civil War, the Viet Nam War, the Civil Rights Movement, or any other national, local, personal, or family crisis less hard? 

We are again facing threats to our way of life; and indeed many of our life’s ways need to change.  We are strong enough to do it because we come from generations of strength - families who struggled to make for this country, for their families, and for themselves the best of times.  Like past generations, Americans today will have to re-earn the better things in life.  We must re-learn what those better things are: 

To really enjoy the better things in life, one must first have experienced the things they are better than.  

Oscar Holmolka 

So Friday we will reflect on that never forgotten, life-changing event now known as 9/11.  Like the day an American walked on the moon, or the night the USA Olympic hockey team won the gold medal to Al Michaels’ famous words broadcast around the world, “Do you believe in miracles?”  Our Unknown Sage reminds us: 

The First Rule of Life: 

The best things in life aren't things.       

America endured October 24, 1929 and the Great Depression; grew stronger after the December 7^th, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack; my hometown stands firm following the 4/20/1999 Columbine shooting; we’ve overcome 9/11/2001.  Today, I believe Americans can re-unite in spite of what happened 5/25/2020.  

Dates never forgotten.                                 

GAP 

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Favorite memory…

College students are returning to class (in person or virtually).  It reminds me of my last visit to my alma mater which has been a couple of years ago now.  It brings back this memory… 

“What is your favorite memory?”  

There I was… face to face with an 18-year-old freshman between classes when I returned to my college for Homecoming weekend.  I was one of several returning alums; I’m not sure why she singled me out. 

Arriving early for Homecoming is my inside joke.  I like to say I do something Fridays now that I rarely did as an undergraduate – I actually attend classes.  This year’s visit started with a multi-dimensional calculus class at 8 am.  Hello!  

Perhaps this freshman, just 10 weeks into her undergraduate pursuits, singled me out because she saw the Athletic Hall of Fame patch on my jacket.  She was wearing her high school Letter Jacket – maybe sports were a source of shared favorite memories? 

Regardless, I was unprepared; caught off guard; even a little embarrassed.    When called on I actually couldn’t remember any favorite memories from my college experience other than the way my basketball coach Harley Knosher and his wife Peg “adopted” me during my trying times.  

Do you remember your favorite college memory?  Perhaps you were a member of a Club?  Here’s how the Physics Club promoted their membership: 

Unfortunately, when I was in college I didn’t have a Club. 

Oh I was involved.  Played on the men’s’ basketball team; started; was a co-captain; yet all the while distant from my teammates.  Having been addicted to nicotine since the age of twelve, smoking was not exactly an accepted activity.  While my teammates would gather after practice for social engagement and comradery, I would excuse myself - remove myself - and seek solitude while feeding my habit.  No Club for that. 

I joined a fraternity – Phi Gamma Delta.  I even lived in the Fiji house for part of a year.  I developed a life-long friendship with my upper classman, fraternity brother, and roommate, Bob Lindsay.  But I didn’t finish out the year living in the fraternity house and participating in the wide range of Greek comradery.  

While my fraternity brothers were reveling in those activities that help adolescents transcend into adulthood, I was already in an advanced placement program.  March of my sophomore year; at the age of 20; I married my high school sweetheart (she, 19).  There was no Club on campus for young newlyweds. 

I was admitted to college because of my high school academic accomplishments.  I was smart – but I wasn’t disciplined - and that weakness hit hard. 

My lack of discipline resulted in academic probation after my 1^st term sophomore year.  I had to attend summer school to get off of probation.  You guessed it – no Summer School Club. 

The good news is I graduated in four years and was debt free, too!  True, I graduated in the bottom half of my class.  Who has ever heard of a Club for we bottom-half folk?  Of course, our S.T.E.M. brethren know that: 

Statistically speaking, approximately one-half of all graduates fall in the bottom half of each graduating class. 

At least I left with a degree, a wife, and a sense of humor!  

So when this young, impressionable freshman asked me for my favorite memory, I could offer only a vague reference to the “overall experience”.  Hopefully, she found another alum that provided a better answer. 

GAP 

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

Commitment and consistency…

 

I came across a 2017 speech by Denzel Washington - on YouTube of course 😊  He offered compelling words to the next generation in his industry aka the young people:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBGb40yh4SY).  A few of his statements stood out to me: 

…without commitment you’ll never start…  without consistency, you’ll never finish… 

It made me think about the next generation of technology sales professionals aka the young people.  My company has literally “bet the ranch” on the selling capabilities of our next generation of sellers.  Commitment and consistency will certainly be key elements in their (and our) success. 

I was part of said “next generation”  once - three generations ago LOL!  Throughout my career for myself and for those I have led, managed, mentored, and coached I developed my own “philosophy”: 

            Adversity clarifies commitment 

I took Denzel’s comments about consistency to mean that working at our profession is a career-long requirement.  Working begets consistency; consistency begets opportunities to finish our career; and adversity hardens us for the realities of ups and downs.  Denzel put it this way: 

            Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. 

If we find ourselves in an “easy” job, that may mean something’s wrong.  I’ve seen too many people throughout my career “switch to glide”.  Either because they feel they’ve mastered their trade or worse, they lose the motivation they had in the beginning.  To keep progressing and succeeding requires we avoid that common “off ramp”:

I once heard someone joke that the road to success is marked with many tempting parking places. 

Harvey Mackay 

Knowing how hard success can be to come by, consistent success is certainly an achievement to be proud of.  I have spoken often about the power of process I learned from a boys’ high school cross country coach in my hometown of Elmhurst, Illinois.  

I didn’t run cross country, but I studied the success of Joe Newton’s York High School teams over the course of 40 years.  It wasn’t his athletes -  he turned over 25% of his runners every year; 100% every 4 years through graduation.  There was something else he did to achieve these amazing results between 1961 and 2000: 

t  Dual meet winning percentage (York vs. one opponent); York won 94% of those meets;      94%!

t  Conference championships (York vs.8-10 other high schools); York won 37 out of 40 years

t  State of Illinois race performance (York vs. all high school teams in Illinois)- York’s results;

Ø  State championships      21 out of 40 years

Ø  State runner-up          10 out of 40 years

Ø  Total Top 5 finishes     37 out of 40 years

Ø  Total Top 10 finishes    39 out of 40 years

t  National competition* - York’s results;          

Ø  National championships   20 out of 40 years

Ø  Total Top 3 finishes     33 out of 40 years    

* As recorded by the “Cross Country US Postal” organization and including more than 10,100 high schools throughout the USA. 

Something else indeed. 

Finally, Denzel cited the Japanese Proverb: 

            Fall down seven times.  Stand up eight. 

I can personally attest to this.  Although beginning without experience, throughout my career I have remained committed, coachable, and tough enough to make it through all of the falling down and standing up parts.

As I witness the passing of my sales profession on to the next generation  of “up and comers”, Denzel’s advice on commitment, hard work and consistency resonated with me.  I hope it does with them, too. 

GAP 

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

“Trusted”?

A few years ago, I read The Speed of Trust © by Stephen M.R. Covey after friend of mine shared his copy from a company training session on team-building. 

“Trust” is a word often (over) used in my profession.  Many salespeople refer to themselves as a “trusted advisor”.  I don’t – I’m a sales professional; and the customer can tell the difference. 

Covey shared this customer perspective:           

I don’t think you have a full trusting relationship until you are actually at the point that you deliver success repeatedly.  When one of my major suppliers says we want to have a trusting relationship, I think, “What a lot of rubbish that is!”  I turn around and say, “I don’t trust you.  I am not going to trust you until you repeatedly deliver success to me.”  

Peter Lowe 

What do you think?  Is it possible that our customers and prospects don’t trust us?  Covey’s research (among many other sources) suggests they don’t.  At least, not until we “repeatedly deliver success…”  

When I first started out in the business my company (ADP) held sales meetings every Tuesday at 5pm (“Roll Call”).  Afterwards, we strolled across the street to a neighborhood “gin mill” (Nancy’s).  Beers; boasts; and weekly war stories were exchanged until closing hour.  That was the setting junior sales reps like me learned the profession from seasoned veterans. 

Except one seasoned veteran, Bob Ackerman.  Bob was one of the top sales reps in our office.  Polished; professional; Bob spoke well; dressed well; showed all the evidence of success.  For my first 6 months on the job, he didn’t have a single conversation with me.  If I approached him, he would literally and rudely walk away.  It would have been easy to say he was impersonal; arrogant; a jerk.  Turned out – just the opposite. 

One Tuesday evening after our sales meeting; 6 months to the week of my start date; Bob approached me with a beer and said, “Gary, great week – congratulations!  Tell me all about it.”  And from that week forward, Bob trusted me. 

I didn’t have the stroke that night to ask Bob, “WTF”?  But after a period of time the opportunity arose, and I asked him why he was so cold when I first started.  Turns out – it was a matter of trust. 

You see, Bob was successful during an era when sales rep turnover was even higher than today.  “Draw vs. commission” was the standard compensation plan; no base salary.  A modest weekly draw smoothed cash flow. The draw was deducted from our monthly commission check.  (Trusted – 30 days at a time.)  A classic “What have you done lately?” environment. 

If we didn’t earn enough commissions to cover our draw, the next month the draw was cut in half.  Two months in a row, and the draw was eliminated.  We never got to month three.  Trust without results didn’t go very far back then – still doesn’t.

Bob had seen plenty of sales reps come and fail.  He told me he used to get to know the new people; he used to coach them a little bit; tried to help them out.  When they failed it hurt his feelings.  So rather than continuing to feel hurt, he withdrew; he waited to see if we made it 6 months.  

The moral of Peter and Bob’s stories?  To earn the position of “trusted advisor” we must produce.  Trust doesn’t beget results – it’s just the opposite – results begets trust. 

        GAP 

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