Beware of Collaboration Clog
Say you’re a sales leader with the right sales people in the right roles, a disciplined sales management cadence to guide and monitor activities, and a development plan that ensures your people have the skills to deliver value to customers. What can still stifle momentum and keep you from accelerating overall sales performance? Collaboration clog.
Collaboration, both across functions and within complex sales organizations, is an increasing and good thing. But beware of leadership logjams that can slow down your ability to execute the sales strategy. In her Build Network blog, Anni Rodgers says that unclear accountability, parochial interests, and political jockeying among senior managers is what slows down many collaborative companies.
To clear the clog and increase efficiency:
- assign a DRI (“directly responsible individual”) to all collaborative projects
- debate vigorously, but let the team chair make the call so everyone can move on
- if you don’t need CEO approval, don’t ask for it
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