Micromanaging: What Is It?
I recently got into a heated discussion with a member of a client’s sales team regarding micromanagement. This has become a buzzword with negative connotations. I believe a good manager knows what’s going on with his/her sales team… at all times. I don’t believe a manager needs to be (nor should be) intrusive or disruptive to accomplish this.
A good manager is, first and foremost, a great coach. The information that a manager requests should be useful to both the manager and the salesperson. Bad management occurs when managers demand information just to get information. Or worse, they demand information that will not be used to help the salesperson or the company. This is easily mistaken for punitive activity and, over the past few years, has been labeled “micromanaging”.
I thought I’d set the record straight for any of you who have questioned what I mean when I talk about “good management”. Again, it’s coaching. The best managers are the men/women who are willing to take risks with and, in some cases, for their salespeople. They’re good leaders, as well as good coaches, and they recognize that their primary goal is to help their salespeople achieve results that will consistently exceed the salesperson’s preconceived expectations. That’s what I call good management.
Good Luck & Good Selling!!
