Growing up in Texas, I knew the coach had something important to say when he told the team to come in and “take a knee.” By making us take a knee, he ensured that each player was listening and focused on what was about to be said. And, as if to further heighten the importance, he would usually begin his talk with the phrase “eyes on me.”
As the coach of your business team, are you asking your players to take a knee on a regular basis? I’m not talking about weekly sales meetings or monthly team updates. I’m talking about a meeting that gives your team insight to your passions, goals, and vision. I’m talking about a meeting where you share your expectations for yourself and the team as a whole - a meeting where honesty is king and candor is queen.
During, “take a knee” meetings, much can be accomplished - both tangible and intangible – that directly impact the people in the room:
- Sales goals (revenue/profitability)
- Client goals (acquisition/retention/satisfaction)
- Operational efficiencies (average order size/time to process orders)
- Organizational culture (happiness, alignment with goals)
- Expectations (ownership/employees)
This is the type of meeting where you share with the group how integral each member of the team is to the overall success of the organization: Sales staff can’t achieve their goals without sufficient marketing and operational support. The accounts receivables team won’t meet their goals without the support of the sales group.
After you hold the take a knee meeting, it’s important to briefly follow up – both as a group and individually – to ensure that everyone is rowing the organizational boat in the same direction. When you have regular (quarterly is a good place to start) “take a knee” meetings, it lays the foundation for a transparent culture where everyone knows what is expected of everyone else, including leadership. Once you’ve established a culture of accountability through open, honest communication, only then will you be able to truly accomplish your organizational goals.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, the leading digital marketing service provider to the promotional products industry, and has over 17 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, immediate past president of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), vice president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@PromoCorner.com.