Getting the basics right for a step-change in business results
We worked with a global account director who wanted to step back from his role and look at the bigger picture, enabling him to focus on making a real difference to his business. He had always made a point of responding to emails and voicemails promptly but realised this meant he spent his time reacting to other people’s agendas. He needed to identify his own agenda for the team and free up his time to deliver to that. At first he thought there just weren’t enough hours in the day and that high stress levels went with the territory.
Through his Leading From the Middle programme he developed working habits that got better results for him, his team and for customers. He got clear on the long term strategy for his part of the business, made sure team members understood their objectives, which would deliver the revenue. He became more goal focused and learned how to prioritise more effectively – now HE decides what’s important. His team worked to his lead and are clearer on what is expected of them. They now spend more time thinking about how to engage with customers and partner organisations, to ensure they deliver the best possible service. They are also learning far more from customers and partners about how to continue to improve.
The changes the account director has implemented have become the norm for his team. Now that he is truly goal-focused and has learned to prioritise, he spends more of his time helping the team win new business and achieving higher margins. The team gets the deal in this quarter as planned and doesn’t let it slip to the next. This translates directly to increased revenue and profit for the company as a whole.