Don’t get busy; get focused.

            We live in a unique time.  Busy is a sign of success.  “Look how many emails I've been sending!”  This response is only surpassed by “We are so busy, look at how hard we are working.”  These two statements indicative of a team that is not focused.  The team is at the point where they are focused on everything, which is synonymous with not being focused on anything.  A person, or a team for that matter, must be doing two things to be focused.  First, they do what should be done.  Second, they do not do what should not be done.  

            Deciding what needs to be done is a discipline that frequently goes awry.  One of the most popular tools leveraged for this task is the Pareto chart; which is also one of the most frequently misunderstood.  Pareto, after whom the chart takes its name, proved that 20% of the elements in a system contribute to 80% of the impact.  The way this chart is frequently leveraged ignores the fact that this rule only holds when there are no interdependencies that exist within the system.

Today's modern corporate structure is defined by numerous interdependencies, and high variability.  Ignoring this reality leaves many executives with an “analysis” that is addressing the undesirable effects of problems, and not the core problem.  Leaving the core problem unaddressed will eventually force the company to be intrinsically oriented, and it has a direct impact on sales.  Rather than concentrating on a company’s products, sales meetings should revolve around the client’s environment and situation.  The sales team should be expressing the significant need that is not satisfied by the market at the present time; which their company can satisfy.

The true cost of not being focused is decreased sales volume, and increasingly ineffective sales meetings with clients.

Don’t get busy; get focused.