How to Avoid that Slippery Slope!
For nearly two years now, we have watched candidate after candidate in this Presidential election cycle bash their competition. I am writing this even before tonight’s debate between two of the four leading candidates. I feel quite certain that neither one will win. In addition, we can be fairly sure that during their presentations they will speak negatively of their opponent. I hope I am wrong, but unfortunately this has become the norm.
Why is it the norm?
Has politics lead this decline?
Or leadership in general?
Stop for a minute and try to remember some of the original advertising campaigns for products. I am old enough to recall the original taste tests between Coke and Pepsi. When you first saw these advertisements, there was a person with a blindfold drinking from a red can placed prominently in the middle of the table. There was another can with a white label on it saying “Other Leading Brand”. Over the years, that white label was removed, and we saw a blue can. Then, the gloves came off, and someone in leadership decided to put the actual Pepsi can on the table next to the Coke can.
Why is this important?
It was considered taboo in the past to run negative advertisements. The leadership taught you to sell your product. You learned how to highlight features and benefits, and how they solved a problem. When you found out negatives about your competition, you didn’t showcase them, you showed how your product performed for the end-user.
Is this a bottom up problem? Or a top-down problem? Can you envision a politician running a campaign to sit on the city council in rural Iowa developing the first negative campaign? Or, is it easier to envision a group of VP’s in a Marketing meeting somewhere, saying “what if we just said the competitors name and how bad they were?”
Leadership sets the tone. Leaders either lead you up a mountain, or down a slippery slope. What examples are you giving to your team when you have a meeting? Are you complaining about the organization, or leading by example and talking about all the good things that are going on?
If you feel a negative tone in the organization you are in, then be the first one to change it. Stop the gossiping. Set a tone that is positive, and others will follow along. Let’s make positive campaigning the norm in your company. You don’t have to be the CEO to set the tone, you have to be a leader.
How is the tone in your group? Do you need help in setting a positive work environment? Employee motivation (now referred to as engagement) is a key performance indicator for productivity. The higher the motivation and engagement of a team, the more efficient and productive they are. From setting goals, to learning how to better communicate, Pinnacle Sales is positioned to help you lead your team up that hill instead of down the slippery slope!
Contact us now to find the best way to get your team on the positive side of the track!