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What happens when the CEO gets up and "sets the tone for the training"?
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Sales Training Blunders of 2011
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4 Answers
Brilliant question Josiane. I've seen things go at least a couple of ways:
1. People retreat into their shells frightened, hopeless or resentful.
2. The CEO is a skilled facilitator and actually models positive behavior.
It's amazing how much power a CEO has to create a beautifully functional workplace or a toxic mess.
It's funny because I shared a story on the call about the CEO who totally shut down the sales team when he got up to "set the tone for the day" - what's interesting is that I worked with them last year, and he did a fabulous job (reading what I wrote out for him, and setting the tone). I assumed (never assume.....) he'd do the same stellar job. Big mistake.
Even when you think past performance would indicate future results, it doesn't always work out that way!
Nimish, sorry if my reply sounded self serving, but I was actually responding to something that came up in our Focus Roundtable call that prompted the question by Josiane. (this call is archived for anyone to listen to: http://www.focus.com/roundtables/sales-training-blunders-2011/ )
One of my colleagues on the call made a comment about how important it is to write your own introduction on Training Day and basically not give anyone else (CEO included) a chance to sidetrack or railroad the upbeat direction a trainer might have planned for that day. All I was trying to say was that the CEO and I had worked well together before, so I had no inkling that he would make the comment he did about the whole team's quotas going up with less staff. After that day, I learned that there were a number of internal issues not in play the prior year and it made sense. It also goes to show that if we take things for granted surprises can happen.
Fair enough :). I see your point!
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