Sadly, too many managers seem to mindlessly echo the same meaningless mantra from some hopelessly outdated sales manager playbook. The answer to every performance issue seems to be simply, “Do more!”
The “more” that’s identified is usually more of something that has worked in the past, without assessing whether it is still the right course of action. As a result, we get mindless guidance like, “Just do more prospecting,” “Just get more opportunities in your pipeline,” “Win more,” “Spend more time [doing something],” and on and on.
And when those don’t work, we know the answer, “Just do more……..”
Inevitably, one runs into a limit people’s capacity to do more. Managers have the pat answer for that, as well, “We need more technology,” “We need more people,” “We need more funding/resources….”
Sadly, “more” is usually not the answer, or at least the best answer.
Too often, what we have always done is no longer effective, so doing more is wasted effort and resources.
A better starting point, seems to be “Do better.” Sadly, too often, managers don’t focus on this, because suggesting “Do better,” is tough. It means we have to drill down to really understand performance and what is impacting each individual on our team. We have to understand what “better” means, coaching and developing our people on how each can do better.
To advise, “Do better,” we have to diagnose. That requires thinking, analysis, and engagement with each person on the team. It’s tough work! The answers aren’t easy or obvious–if they were, we’d already be doing them.
But “Do better” has magic leverage. It helps us maximize the results and outcomes of everything we currently do. It makes us much more effective.
Inevitably by doing things better, we free up time to do more. But we accomplish more than if we just simply started with “Do more.” Stated differently, “Doing better,” followed by “Do more of what you are doing better,” has a huge multiplier effect.
As a result, we maximize the utilization and impact of all our resources. We focus on all the elements of performance, not just the quantity of activities.
As managers, our responsibility is to maximize the performance of our people, not maximizing the activities of our people. These are very different.
Are you fulfilling your responsibilities as a manager?
Afterword: Please don’t confuse this with “less is more.” I’m not certain “less is more,” is the same as what I am suggesting.
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