A recent meeting with my CFO got me thinking about different ways of looking at things. We are having a challenging year, and (rightfully so) our CFO is concerned about our numbers. As I was recapping what had gone on so far, I was struck at how similar the conversation was to some other things that are prevalent in my life.
For example, Buddhist teachings on the 4 Noble Truths tell us the following:
1. The truth of suffering, anxiety, or dissatisfaction
2. The truth of the origin of this suffering
3. The truth that suffering will end
4. The truth of the path that leads to the end of the suffering
So...for my meeting with my CFO, I pretty much could've easily gotten away with burning some incense and chanting, because:
1. The truth of suffering this year is that our numbers are down
2. The origin of this suffering is that advertisers are not doing as much print as they used to and are not embracing our digital offerings as emphatically as we would like them to
3. The truth is that the suffering WILL end at some point...because...advertising runs in cycles and it will switch back to our core products soon enough
4. The truth of the path that leads to the end of this suffering includes having our reps be as visible and accessible to their current clients and new prospects as possible, so they are top of mind when advertisers start to consider us for larger shares of their budget spend
Sticking with Buddha...karma is the thing drives the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each of us. The etymology of the word "karma" comes from Sanskrit and generally translates to either "work" or "action".
Hmmm. So, the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering from poor numbers lies in me helping my reps to develop good karma in the marketplace? Right on! Sign me up!
For any other sales reps from a different company or industry who may read this, this goes for you too. Positive karma is a set of appropriate actions, put into the world to generate a good outcome. So, focusing on finding the right balance of understanding needs, communicating potential solutions, and following up on what you put in place to make sure it's working...is the only path to overcome the suffering of poor numbers.
This sounds like a gross oversimplification, but it really is true. Think about the reverse. You are having a challenging year, you start to lose faith in your own abilities and your own products, and you start a cycle of the self fulfilling prophecy where people aren't just not interested in buying from you...they don't even want to talk to you. When there is bad karma, the path to the end of suffering usually takes the form of a performance improvement (manage someone out) plan. Nobody wants that.
Karma also leads to rebirth...good and bad. Think about this in the sales environment. I have a rep who has been struggling to close new business. We got together and discussed changing karma. We got back to the basics of understanding needs and communicating solutions. This rep embraced this, put a bunch of good feelers out in the marketplace, and is about to close a $100K deal (which includes print AND digital). Would this have been the outcome if we had gotten on the bad karma path of simply checking weekly activity reports? I highly doubt it. This rep's rebirth would've probably come in a different role at a different company. That would have been a shame.
Who knew that Buddha was also such an enlightened Sales Leader? I certainly didn't...but I do now. I'll be paying MUCH closer attention to this moving forward. I hope all of you will as well!
Namaste
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Balance at home...Balance at Work
Recently, I lived through an event which has inspired me to change the focus of this blog to be entirely on finding and maintaining balance. This week I returned to work after taking a week off to deal with a very sad personal matter. It's been a fascinating week.
While it was probably too soon for me to come back and "jump right in", I did have a pretty productive week. This was largely due to the fact that certain work issues just did not grab my attention like they normally would have. Things that were infinitely more important even just 2 weeks ago seemed much less vitally important now.
This is not to say that I blew the whole week off. Not even close. I simply forced myself to find the appropriate BALANCE in my work life this week to pay closer attention to the things that REALLY were important, and did not sweat the small stuff. Upon further review...it turns out that this was probably one of the more productive weeks I've had in a long time.
I also made a better effort this week to not let my work life and my personal life overlap. This is something I feel is pretty important and will continue to work on, and encourage others to do the same. I realized this week that, negative energy that emanates from one source does not stop emanating when you move from one realm of your life to another.
Consider this...my wife teaches Pilates and Yoga for her career. You can imagine how thrilled she is when I bring negative work energy into the house. To say it brings her down is an understatement. I also can't even imagine how many times I've snapped at my poor son for something minor, just because I was frustrated by something at work (which in the grand scheme of things wasn't a big deal anyway).
It's just as important on the other side of the equation. My company deserves my full attention (on the things that REALLY matter). It's not cool to allow some stupidity from an ex wife, an annoying neighbor, or a dufus of a teenage son take me off my game during work issues.
This really sounds so basic, but it is actually really hard to find the right balance in these situations. I am thankful I was able to do it this week, otherwise, I wouldn't have made it through. For me, things like Yoga, Surfing, Meditating, putting the electronic devices away and playing with my kids, were all instrumental in finding the right balance. These things may not work for everyone, but each person has something they can do to help keep the balance. Family and work are huge parts of all of our lives...do all that you can to keep them in balance so everything flows at a pace that is right for you!
Ohm......
Namaste!
While it was probably too soon for me to come back and "jump right in", I did have a pretty productive week. This was largely due to the fact that certain work issues just did not grab my attention like they normally would have. Things that were infinitely more important even just 2 weeks ago seemed much less vitally important now.
This is not to say that I blew the whole week off. Not even close. I simply forced myself to find the appropriate BALANCE in my work life this week to pay closer attention to the things that REALLY were important, and did not sweat the small stuff. Upon further review...it turns out that this was probably one of the more productive weeks I've had in a long time.
I also made a better effort this week to not let my work life and my personal life overlap. This is something I feel is pretty important and will continue to work on, and encourage others to do the same. I realized this week that, negative energy that emanates from one source does not stop emanating when you move from one realm of your life to another.
Consider this...my wife teaches Pilates and Yoga for her career. You can imagine how thrilled she is when I bring negative work energy into the house. To say it brings her down is an understatement. I also can't even imagine how many times I've snapped at my poor son for something minor, just because I was frustrated by something at work (which in the grand scheme of things wasn't a big deal anyway).
It's just as important on the other side of the equation. My company deserves my full attention (on the things that REALLY matter). It's not cool to allow some stupidity from an ex wife, an annoying neighbor, or a dufus of a teenage son take me off my game during work issues.
This really sounds so basic, but it is actually really hard to find the right balance in these situations. I am thankful I was able to do it this week, otherwise, I wouldn't have made it through. For me, things like Yoga, Surfing, Meditating, putting the electronic devices away and playing with my kids, were all instrumental in finding the right balance. These things may not work for everyone, but each person has something they can do to help keep the balance. Family and work are huge parts of all of our lives...do all that you can to keep them in balance so everything flows at a pace that is right for you!
Ohm......
Namaste!
Friday, July 19, 2013
Yin and Yang (Healing and Closure)
On Sunday, July 14, 2013, I lost my father to suicide. An earlier entry on this blog entitled Yin and Yang (Revisited) was dedicated to my father, his decision to take his own life, and it also included a plea to any and all who happened to read my little blog to do everything they can to help anyone they might know who is suffering from depression (up to and including themselves).
This entry is geared towards those of us who have lost a loved one in any sudden and unexpected fashion. Any loss of a loved one is tough. I have had friends who have lost relatives after lengthy illnesses. Almost universally, they speak of relief at the end, of being grateful for having a chance to say goodbye, and of being thankful that their loved one is in a better place.
Sadly, I think that those of us in the unfortunate fraternity of losing someone in a sudden or unexpected fashion have a much different experience. The prevailing feelings seem to consist of sadness, anger, confusion, numbness, and a general desire to simply disconnect for awhile.
Keeping with the thread of Yin and Yang, I IMPLORE anyone in my now unwanted, but still very special fraternity, to focus on some balance. Here's why:
Anyone that knows me well...knows that I'm a surfer. My father loved the ocean and he bought me my first surfboard when I was 10 years old. Two days after losing my dad, I paddled out for a surf. In the middle of a particularly fun session, 3 dolphins (my father's favorite number was 3) rode in on a set wave, and put on a SPECTACULAR air show right in the middle of the lineup. This went on for no longer than a minute, and then they were gone. I wasn't the only guy surfing that morning, so I wasn't the only one that saw it...but I was the only guy who understood what it was. My father was letting me know that he is okay now.
Let me be very clear here...I'm still furious with my father for making the decision to take his own life. I still think that suicide is a terrible way to go, and that there are much better ways to deal with pain and suffering than to take one's own life. However, I still love my dad very much. There's the balance...the Yin and Yang...the anger and the love. Without that balance, there is simply no way I would have seen that message from him nor understood what it meant. I'm thankful that I wasn't so focused on my anger that I missed it. It has helped me start the healing process. I shared that story with my wife and my son when I got home. That very same night, my wife was walking the dog and looked up and saw a cloud pattern that looked exactly like 2 dolphins swimming next to each other. The next day, my son came surfing with me, and 1 dolphin jumped out of the water right in front of him. The healing process has started for us all.
As for closure, that possibility seems laughable right now. My father was infinitely smarter than me. If he couldn't figure this all out...there's no way that I will. This is where the Yin and Yang kicks in for me though, albeit in a skewed way. For me, the acceptance that I may never find proper closure is, in fact, a form of closure in itself.
The response to Yin and Yang (Revisited) was amazing, and I have received several notes that it has in fact stirred some people into action in trying to help someone with depression. Mission accomplished on that one. I sincerely hope these words on healing and closure may help someone as well. If they help anybody in any way...then it will have been worth it.
Namaste
This entry is geared towards those of us who have lost a loved one in any sudden and unexpected fashion. Any loss of a loved one is tough. I have had friends who have lost relatives after lengthy illnesses. Almost universally, they speak of relief at the end, of being grateful for having a chance to say goodbye, and of being thankful that their loved one is in a better place.
Sadly, I think that those of us in the unfortunate fraternity of losing someone in a sudden or unexpected fashion have a much different experience. The prevailing feelings seem to consist of sadness, anger, confusion, numbness, and a general desire to simply disconnect for awhile.
Keeping with the thread of Yin and Yang, I IMPLORE anyone in my now unwanted, but still very special fraternity, to focus on some balance. Here's why:
Anyone that knows me well...knows that I'm a surfer. My father loved the ocean and he bought me my first surfboard when I was 10 years old. Two days after losing my dad, I paddled out for a surf. In the middle of a particularly fun session, 3 dolphins (my father's favorite number was 3) rode in on a set wave, and put on a SPECTACULAR air show right in the middle of the lineup. This went on for no longer than a minute, and then they were gone. I wasn't the only guy surfing that morning, so I wasn't the only one that saw it...but I was the only guy who understood what it was. My father was letting me know that he is okay now.
Let me be very clear here...I'm still furious with my father for making the decision to take his own life. I still think that suicide is a terrible way to go, and that there are much better ways to deal with pain and suffering than to take one's own life. However, I still love my dad very much. There's the balance...the Yin and Yang...the anger and the love. Without that balance, there is simply no way I would have seen that message from him nor understood what it meant. I'm thankful that I wasn't so focused on my anger that I missed it. It has helped me start the healing process. I shared that story with my wife and my son when I got home. That very same night, my wife was walking the dog and looked up and saw a cloud pattern that looked exactly like 2 dolphins swimming next to each other. The next day, my son came surfing with me, and 1 dolphin jumped out of the water right in front of him. The healing process has started for us all.
As for closure, that possibility seems laughable right now. My father was infinitely smarter than me. If he couldn't figure this all out...there's no way that I will. This is where the Yin and Yang kicks in for me though, albeit in a skewed way. For me, the acceptance that I may never find proper closure is, in fact, a form of closure in itself.
The response to Yin and Yang (Revisited) was amazing, and I have received several notes that it has in fact stirred some people into action in trying to help someone with depression. Mission accomplished on that one. I sincerely hope these words on healing and closure may help someone as well. If they help anybody in any way...then it will have been worth it.
Namaste
Monday, July 15, 2013
Yin and Yang (Revisited)
Recently, I wrote a blog about the importance of balance in work and life, and how well received such a simple message was at a recent sales meeting that I facilitated. I had no idea how prophetic this little blog would be.
On July 14, 2013, my father passed away. He is survived by my mother, me and my wife, my sister and brother in law, four grandchildren between me and my sister, and a host of friends from way way way back. On a beautiful Sunday around lunchtime, he went out in his backyard on the intracoastal waterway, and shot and killed himself.
My father had recently battled some health issues and was struggling to heal from a triple bypass procedure that he underwent in March. Depression, addiction, and self destructive behaviors run deep in the grooves of my family tree. He overcame all of these demons in his life to become a good husband, father, grandfather, employee, boss, friend, and human being.
In the end, however, the depression won out. Why? My father lost his balance. He lost his Yin and Yang. Too much focus on the darkness...too little focus on the light. He had so many things to be thankful for and to live for, but without that balance, he lost out to the demons.
I'm under no delusions of grandeur here. I believe this blog will probably get read by 9 people or so, all of whom know me. On the odd chance it does circulate beyond that, I am hopeful that it may make somebody think differently about a few things.
I have no intention of turning this into a 2nd Amendment discussion. I hate guns and think they have no place in residential neighborhoods. I hate them even more now. However, my father was a proud gun owner and simply exercised his right to do so. He made a decision to use that gun in a fashion I will never fully understand, but it was his decision to make.
This is no indictment of the health system either. Although, the one brief commentary I will offer is that the anti depressant medication was clearly NOT making him any better, and I would have preferred that his doctors would have tried anything else besides upping his dosage.
This is a simple plea to anyone who has a family member, friend, or anyone close to them suffering from depression...or to anyone who is suffering from depression themselves. PLEASE exhaust every opportunity to find balance.
I cannot fathom how much pain my father must've been in and why he decided this was his only option. I found him in the backyard. That image will haunt me until the end of my life for sure. He left a note in which he described the pain he was in and his embarrassment at being a burden to everyone. I wish my father could see that his decision did not have the intended effect he was after. Quite the contrary. None of us are relieved. We are all some version of sad, angry, pissed, hurt, confused, and heartbroken. We will be for some time.
If anyone out there thinks that this is a good way to go, I can promise you, it isn't. Find balance. Help a loved one or a friend find balance. There are better ways to stop suffering.
Namaste, Dad. I love you.
On July 14, 2013, my father passed away. He is survived by my mother, me and my wife, my sister and brother in law, four grandchildren between me and my sister, and a host of friends from way way way back. On a beautiful Sunday around lunchtime, he went out in his backyard on the intracoastal waterway, and shot and killed himself.
My father had recently battled some health issues and was struggling to heal from a triple bypass procedure that he underwent in March. Depression, addiction, and self destructive behaviors run deep in the grooves of my family tree. He overcame all of these demons in his life to become a good husband, father, grandfather, employee, boss, friend, and human being.
In the end, however, the depression won out. Why? My father lost his balance. He lost his Yin and Yang. Too much focus on the darkness...too little focus on the light. He had so many things to be thankful for and to live for, but without that balance, he lost out to the demons.
I'm under no delusions of grandeur here. I believe this blog will probably get read by 9 people or so, all of whom know me. On the odd chance it does circulate beyond that, I am hopeful that it may make somebody think differently about a few things.
I have no intention of turning this into a 2nd Amendment discussion. I hate guns and think they have no place in residential neighborhoods. I hate them even more now. However, my father was a proud gun owner and simply exercised his right to do so. He made a decision to use that gun in a fashion I will never fully understand, but it was his decision to make.
This is no indictment of the health system either. Although, the one brief commentary I will offer is that the anti depressant medication was clearly NOT making him any better, and I would have preferred that his doctors would have tried anything else besides upping his dosage.
This is a simple plea to anyone who has a family member, friend, or anyone close to them suffering from depression...or to anyone who is suffering from depression themselves. PLEASE exhaust every opportunity to find balance.
I cannot fathom how much pain my father must've been in and why he decided this was his only option. I found him in the backyard. That image will haunt me until the end of my life for sure. He left a note in which he described the pain he was in and his embarrassment at being a burden to everyone. I wish my father could see that his decision did not have the intended effect he was after. Quite the contrary. None of us are relieved. We are all some version of sad, angry, pissed, hurt, confused, and heartbroken. We will be for some time.
If anyone out there thinks that this is a good way to go, I can promise you, it isn't. Find balance. Help a loved one or a friend find balance. There are better ways to stop suffering.
Namaste, Dad. I love you.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Turning a Sales Team around...Yin and Yang
I recently had my 12 sales reps come in from around the country for one of those proverbial "sales summits". You know the ones I'm talking about...you bring people in from out of the field, you talk about the numbers, you talk about year end goals, you talk about new products...blah...blah...blah...
These people invariably leave these meetings thinking it has been a colossal waste of time, and often provide feedback that says so. That has certainly been the case with my team, over the years. You can hardly blame them. Two years ago, our VP of Sales opened up the meeting by showing these people a picture of a burning oil platform and told them that this is what their future was! Last year, our new (different VP of Sales) put a bunch of spreadsheets up on the screen and walked through them cell by cell, column by column...and...his numbers were wrong.
This year, we tried to change it up. Our year is a struggle and its going to go right down to the wire as to whether we will make the number or not. Much of this is not my team's fault. Market conditions, franchise agreements, corporate restructures, and a variety of other issues have conspired against my squad. They've heard all the bad news already.
While the "burning oil platform" might have been a good fit...I decided to go the other way. I prepared one slide of content for the whole 2 day session. It was the famous representation of yin and yang. You know the one...a circle with one black and white swoosh and one white a black swoosh?
My team know I'm a surfer and into yoga, but this was a business meeting. They all thought "surely he's got something else"?
Not really. I spoke of the need for them to go through this conference with yin and yang as their guide. I asked them to think in terms of balance, and relate them to:
~ Work and home life
~ Print advertising and Digital Advertising
~ Time spent on existing accounts and time spent prospecting new accounts
~ Sales and Marketing
~ Corporate Sales and Franchisee Sales
After asking them to focus on this balance, I got out of the way and let a bunch of smarter people deliver the real content. The feedback has been amazing. This crew went out in the first week after and put $500k of new sales on the board. It's represented our best collective week in a long time. More is coming. What was truly amazing was how much specific feedback I got about how much they appreciated the message.
Moral of the story...sometimes you have to throw the numbers out. Sometimes it's good to refocus on balance. It certainly was with this team, and it'll be a message I consistently preach from now on...
These people invariably leave these meetings thinking it has been a colossal waste of time, and often provide feedback that says so. That has certainly been the case with my team, over the years. You can hardly blame them. Two years ago, our VP of Sales opened up the meeting by showing these people a picture of a burning oil platform and told them that this is what their future was! Last year, our new (different VP of Sales) put a bunch of spreadsheets up on the screen and walked through them cell by cell, column by column...and...his numbers were wrong.
This year, we tried to change it up. Our year is a struggle and its going to go right down to the wire as to whether we will make the number or not. Much of this is not my team's fault. Market conditions, franchise agreements, corporate restructures, and a variety of other issues have conspired against my squad. They've heard all the bad news already.
While the "burning oil platform" might have been a good fit...I decided to go the other way. I prepared one slide of content for the whole 2 day session. It was the famous representation of yin and yang. You know the one...a circle with one black and white swoosh and one white a black swoosh?
My team know I'm a surfer and into yoga, but this was a business meeting. They all thought "surely he's got something else"?
Not really. I spoke of the need for them to go through this conference with yin and yang as their guide. I asked them to think in terms of balance, and relate them to:
~ Work and home life
~ Print advertising and Digital Advertising
~ Time spent on existing accounts and time spent prospecting new accounts
~ Sales and Marketing
~ Corporate Sales and Franchisee Sales
After asking them to focus on this balance, I got out of the way and let a bunch of smarter people deliver the real content. The feedback has been amazing. This crew went out in the first week after and put $500k of new sales on the board. It's represented our best collective week in a long time. More is coming. What was truly amazing was how much specific feedback I got about how much they appreciated the message.
Moral of the story...sometimes you have to throw the numbers out. Sometimes it's good to refocus on balance. It certainly was with this team, and it'll be a message I consistently preach from now on...
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