By Dan Schaefer Phd
Stuck… sales are flat… deals are not closing… partners won’t even talk about change… no sign of a promotion… not sure I’m in the right field… have opportunities but not sure of which one to take… managing down or up seems to be blocked… I can see the political landscape but not sure what to do next… something just doesn’t feel right…
You feel it… the company feels it…. we all feel it. we’re doing what we have always done…what’s worked before… and we’re doing more of it… but not much or not enough is happening… deals are getting ALMOST there… responses are slow to come or stopping all together… the conversations you know you need to have been not happening…
Consider this….it could be worse…. you could be moving rapidly in the wrong direction…. making the wrong moves…. saying the wrong things at the wrong time to the wrong people. You may have heard the statement “when you’re in a hole the first thing to do is to…. stop digging.
Easy to say, from the outside, but often you are aware that there are obstacles but right now they are invisible.
A very successful business guy asked me to help him with a very important piece of his golf game. It would not involve equipment golf swing or instruction. His teaching pro would take care of that. Something was happening consistently that he couldn’t figure out/ Here’s his description “I have developed a hitch in my swing” at the top of my back swing I do this weird lift. My friends notice it.
I asked him to describe to me when it happens. You may be surprised to discover that it only happened when his ball was sitting perfectly in the fairway never when it was in the sand or in a difficult lie. As successful as he was, I asked if he was ever in a situation with his business where he was about to “blow it wide open” and somehow, he put a “Hitch” in the deal. He thought for awhile, I asked him did it sound possible. He said yes. As he reflected on these key deals and described these key situations it was clear that he recognized a pattern I asked if he wanted to explore it, he said no and left……………To get the edge to want it, you must see where you want to be, identify obstacles, and move with momentum and consistency. You have to grab it.
We’re stuck is what moved the CFO to get me in front of the three principals of her firm. OK! Let’s go out 5 years…I give you a magic wand. You wave it. now we are all in 20XX. What does your life look like, what does the company look like? What’s going on with you and your company…… This 20XX 5 yr out strategy can involve a few hours for an individual and longer for a team, but the results can be revealing. # 1 says he wants to triple the size of the company that’s 10 million to 30. #2, much to the surprise of #S 1 & 3… says he wants to cash out. # 3 says he wants to exit but come back in some consulting arrangement.
Clearly, as reflected by the confusing messages unconsciously being sent down by leadership as well as fragmented management styles, marketing, sales, and admin were largely directionless. It was a management nightmare. In this situation each partner was stuck. They began a process of redesigning their company toward their individual goals and objectives. This was a much easier task once the obstacles were identified
President of the US division of a global company based in Australia said his sales had stalled. “What do you want to happen in 5 years” I asked.
“Triple the size” of the company, he replied. He described a few situations nationally with his sales team and really gave me the 1000’ view of the company. Then I asked him how many people reported to him. Twenty-two he replied. We were at breakfast so I suggested that we needed to get a check, that I enjoyed meeting him but that I couldn’t help him. He was surprised. I asked what he would do when he had 66 people reporting to him daily. His management style handcuffed him. I reminded him that in HP, under Carly Fiorina would limit direct reports to 7 people.
It took us about 4 months, but the restructure put him on a far more positive track. The process and his desire to get the edge Un-cuffed him and his leadership team.
Getting unstuck worked… Knowing you’re stuck is where it starts
We’re stuck!!! means different things to different people in different situations. Personally, in relationships both personal and business, in family businesses, in individual performance in business and sports, whether professional, college or high.
Different things to different people. Here is a partial list to consider
_____ I find myself struggling with balancing my career and personal life.
_____ I am considering a transition. Does it have to be trying and difficult?
_____ I frequently feel “stuck” in patterns that slow down my progress?
_____ My desires are frustrated because I have an aversion to confrontations.
_____ Could I be afraid to fail? Is fear of failure impeding my progress and detracting from my quality of life?
_____ Important new growth and profitability initiatives stalled because of confused or less than effective management personnel?
_____ Key management personnel seem “split into camps” because they cannot agree on critical policy issues?
_____ Top management personnel feel isolated and lacking effective sounding boards?
_____ I would like to have a confidential sounding board to advise me on people, culture issues and the psychology of everyday corporate life?
_____ The perception is that top management is out of touch with staff personnel?
Other frequently occurring STUCK signs…
- We’re having trouble closing the big deals.
- Our senior team is not working well or consistently towards the same goals.
- Members of our senior team need help developing specific skill sets.
- We don’t want to make the same expensive mistakes others in our industry – or on our career path – have made.
- I want to achieve work/life balance without sacrificing top performance.
- I simply need a confidential sounding board.
Athletics
If you’re an individual athlete, coach, manager, or team owner, call us when:
- You notice a drop-off in a particular player’s performance.
- You feel a particular player is not living up to his or her potential.
- A player seems distracted or unfocused, on the field or off.
- Team members are not working together effectively or consistently. [Athletes may avoid talking about this]
If you’re an athlete, call when:
- You’re having trouble concentrating.
- You feel you have more to give to your game, but you cannot access it.
- You find yourself in a slump.
- Balance has become a significant issue in your life.
- You have no one you can safely discuss these issues with.
“What do I do now???”
If any of this sounds familiar, you may want to check out my website www.DanSchaeferPhd.com for more resources or give me a call at:
(917) 880-6758
Best Regards,
Dr. Dan
Dan Schaefer PhD. 