Case Studies

Poor Morale Turnover/Absenteeism Poor Service High Stress Poor Communication Personnel Problems Interdepartment Conflict Ineffective Leadership Low Productivity/Sales Lack of Trust Resistance to Change Work/Home Imbalance

Case Study:
International Hair Products Company

The Challenges:

• Tapping into team members' natural enthusiasm.
• Being motivated every day, not just during the annual sales conference.
• Developing a culture that consistently generates
  breakthrough marketing and sales ideas.

After years of phenomenal growth, this company's sales had flattened out and so did the morale of the entire organization. The troops seemed to feel their career had degenerated to simply selling another bottle of shampoo to collect a paycheck. Some of their best people moved to the competition. Their reputation as the top hair product company to work for was clearly slipping fast. The "high" created by motivational talks disappeared after a week or two. They needed sales skills that were easy to understand and sustainable.

This Director of Sales had a vision for what was possible at his company. He attended another company's The Pathways to Leadership® training as a guest, where he discovered an array of dynamics that clarified exactly why sales and productivity had taken such a hit. He began to see specific leadership interventions he could take to turn around an apathetic sales team.

"It was a challenge immersing myself back into my job being the only one armed with these skills. And yet, I have to say that this daily testing of what I stood for has certainly made me a stronger leader. Now I am surrounded with a sales force that truly appreciates the stand I took for them, and they are as committed as I am to serving and growing our customer base." - Director of Sales

Unfortuantely, since no one else in upper management had audited the program, they were not convinced they should bring this training into the organization. His only option was to create an 'Oasis of Wellness' with the people directly under his influence. Standing alone, initially with only the support of our staff, this manager worked the Pathways to Leadership tools over a long period of time. Soon, his team's increased level of sales did the talking for him, and the company decided to sponsor a special Pathways training in Vail, Colorado.

Tools and Concepts

• One of the most valuable insights in the program is, "When does leadership take place? --- In every single interaction." As the inevitable challenges came forward, he knew he always had a choice in how to react. Consistently, he took that magic moment to ponder his options before making his choice, then chose to put his new skills and concepts to work. The effort paid off.
• Using the concept that there is something in everyone that wants to be great, this director used the Recipe for Partnership to bring this greatness out in his own team. This 5-step process became one of his most useful tools.
• He asked his team to share with each other an inventory of recent successes. The response was meager at first, but eventually they came up with a substantial list.
• He asked them to share the qualities required to produce those successes. This step lit a fire under the team because they were able to identify the ingredients for success they already possessed.
• Now his team was ready to create their own vision of what they wanted to produce. Previously, quotas were established only from the top.
• Motivation swelled when he asked his team what benefits would accrue when they accomplished their vision. The answers to this question revealed high voltage fundamental motivators.
• His team then designed a specific action plan with a realistic timeline. Interestingly enough, the team's goals for success were even higher than senior management thought possible.

The success and increased productivity of his team was so dramatic, the president authorized a Pathways to Leadership program for the entire sales staff.

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