I've always been told that I am the master of multi-tasking. For the longest time, I took that as a compliment. When I ran sales organizations, my salespeople would come into my office and I'd assist them without ever looking away from my PC. When I was in department meetings, I'd listen with my ears, but my eyes were on my Blackberry. Man, I got stuff done!
However, I discovered a major problem with my management approach. While I was effective at getting things done, my salespeople felt like I didn't care about them. It's perception vs reality. I heard everything they said and processed every word. I even responded, but their perception was that I wasn't listening.
Good luck achieving your revenue goals when your people don't think you care. As a sales management executive, you are under enormous pressure to get things done, but never forget that your people come first. Make sure both perception and reality demonstrate to your people that you are committed to their success.
Remember, people don't leave companies, they leave their managers.
See you next time on the Sales Management Minute.
