May
16
Trying To Solve Current Sales & Business Problems Can Only Make Things Worse…
Filed Under challenge, fundamentals, informed decision, learning, mindset, sales
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Loading ...I’ve just been reflecting on a couple of conversations I’ve been having with a number of business owners and potential business owners about learning from the mistakes of the past, and the mistakes of others.
It’s an interesting debate, as you’ll soon see.
On one hand there are those who feel that every effort should be made to uncover the root causes of what went wrong, analyse what happened and why, and use this as the basis for a strong, robust strategy and plan to avoid these problems in the future. I must admit, as a former engineer, this position has a lot of merit.
On the other hand there are those who feel that looking to uncover the root causes and do the analysis runs the risk of focusing on the past, of taking valuable and limited time that could be spent on more useful or value-adding activities. This too is a position that has merit!
So, what to do, which one to choose?
Before choosing, let’s just stop and think for a moment.
Some of you will know I trained and practiced as an engineer (OK, it was a while ago, but still…!). You’ll also know I have a solid background in continuous improvement too, with a heavy emphasis on analysis and data.
So you’d be forgiven for thinking this is an easy choice to make.
Well, it isn’t!
And here’s why.
I know from the experiences I have had, and countless others have had, that where processes dominate a situation in terms of performance, or lack of performance, then performing a root cause analysis – finding out the most fundamental reasons for failure to perform – is the right thing to do.
And selling is a process, right?
So, do the root cause analysis…
EXCEPT…
Sales is not just about process. It’s also about buying, and it’s also about emotion.
I’ve also learned (the hard way, initially…) that when people and emotions play a big, even dominant role, a root cause analysis is often largely a wasted effort in terms of actually contributing to and enabling a better approach and outcome in the future.
Why?
Well, root causes that are, to pardon the pun, rooted in people, are incredibly difficult to find, verify and measure. The analysis becomes too subjective, and this can add to existing tensions in relationships, or more often, create these tensions in the first place.
And because there is limited credibility and agreement about the actual list of root causes and their relative contributions to the overall problem, and plan based on eliminating these root causes is similarly lacking in credibility and buy in – and that leads to problems in implanting any fix, no matter how brilliant the fix actually is.
So, back to the original dilemma – do the root cause analysis, or not… learn from the mistakes of the past & others, or press on, perhaps blindly?
Well, a dilemma in my book, occurs when I’m faced with just 2 choices, neither of which is particularly attractive.
What I try to do in these situations is create a third (or fourth…) option that is more attractive.
And I do the same here.
Option 3 is to do a little of both! Learn from the mistakes while ALSO focusing on how you want your future success to be.
OK, I know what you’re thinking now – you’re thinking that I’m cheating, or fudging the issue somehow.
Well, I beg to differ!
Based on the underlying principles of “Solutions Focus” (see http://www.sfwork.com) I suggest the following to enable you to quickly make some progress:
- Take a look at the problem situation, and get clear (or clearer…) about what the desired outcome was.
- Look for what worked, even just a little bit, even just once, that got things just a little bit closer to the desired outcome.
- Consider doing more of these things that worked. And stopping doing things that didn’t work – this helps you manage your workload too.
The theory (and practice!) goes something like this: when you focus on the problem and why it might have happened, you’re focused on the past and also what you don’t want. Your success lies in the future and what you do want, so focus there!
Sure, acknowledge and pay some heed to past problems and experiences, but don’t over do it. You can avoid this by working through steps 1-3 above. This buys you some progress and this is really valuable in building momentum, motivation, and… hope!
And to get more focus on the future and what steps to take in getting there, work through the steps below:
- Get a very clear picture or description of how you want & need things to be in the future. If part of a team, build this picture together – it’s great for buy-in, team building and motivation!
- Find resources that can help you achieve even just a little of this in the very near future – look to the past, present and future for ideas, examples of what has worked that you can copy and/or adapt. Look to your experiences and imagination, as well as that of others – this can be great for getting buy-in!
- Focus on taking small next steps in the general direction of the desired outcome. Focus on what can be achieved in the next 24-48 hours. Don’t worry too much about a detailed and long-term plan – life has a way of making these pretty useless after a few days or weeks! Once you’ve taken 1 or 2 small steps, take stock – where are you in relation to the desired outcome… And from here, identify the next 1 or 2 small steps you can take to get you headed in roughly the right direction!
Let me know how you get on!
Cheers
Martin
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