Sometimes it can feel like meeting your sales targets and maintaining culture run in opposition. No matter what industry you’re in, if you run a business, being profitable is #1.
You also don’t want to let the pursuit of performance tarnish your culture, which has certainly happened to me before. We lost a top performer (which is a leader’s worst nightmare) and I went into hustle mode to plug revenue gaps, while compromising the connection with the team.
I’d been so focused on performance, outcomes and what we were doing that I’d lost sight of what really matters as a leader – which is who I’m being and how I’m connecting with the team.
I needed to rebuild psychological safety within the team after that moment. Culture, like brands, are living ever-changing parts of a business. It must be tended to.
Here are some ways to balance sales and culture:
- Set a big vision and values for your business. This is your north star and frame of reference for every decision. Review it every quarter as a team and make sure it becomes the language of your team.
- Give feedback to your team in real-time, within 24 hours (this will create steady momentum) and build trust with your people.
- Document obstacles and opportunities in a dedicated ‘Issues List’ for everyone to add to (solve in real time and free up headspace). This will allow everyone to feel like their voice is being heard.
- Create performance plans for your team. Double down on your current employees, even if you want to attract new talent. I wrote about this here, where various team members stepped up when called on.
- Be available to your team as a coach/mentor. As a leader, your employees are your #1 clients.
- Establish a formal leadership team. You don’t need to do it all alone. Assemble a small team of department heads and meet every week for 90 minutes. This is a same-page meeting.
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