The Power of Collective Goals
How Chaos, Motorbikes and Snowboarding Teach us Mutuality in Business
One look at the metropolitan streets of Vietnam and one would assume it was complete and utter anarchy. After a closer look, one can witness a beautiful sea of controlled chaos playing out in every facet of the transportation. What is truly amazing is that there are no wrecks occurring, no one is yelling or fighting with each other, and pedestrians are able to cross the road as needed with no incident. In the highly regulated streets of a country like the USA, the above picture would result in absolute mayhem and carnage!
What then is the secret to this fluid system of transportation despite little to no regulation, lane use, or traffic signals? It is the understanding of the collective goal that all these people share. Sure, some are going to work, to home, to eat a meal, buy flowers, but the commonality is that they are all going somewhere. Everyone on the road understands that everyone else needs to go someplace and sharing that common goal completely changes each person's mindset. With this understanding, the environment goes from combative to collaborative, and personal success is interchangeable with group success. Having aligned their goals with common understanding, each person can work towards meeting their own needs and the needs of others at the same time.
Let me give you an example; As an avid snowboarder, this scenario is very similar to a heavily crowded day on the mountain. As you make your way down the mountain you have to weave in and out of people, slow down in some areas, speed up in others, all the while making sure you don't fall over (or run into someone)! This environment, in contrast to a traffic filled intersection in places like New York City, is much more positive with less frustration, yelling and fighting. A part of the reason is that everyone on the mountain shares a common goal; to get to the bottom of the mountain in one piece. The power of having a collective goal is there, even when people have different personal goals like going to meet with friends at the lodge for a meal, going down to leave for the day, and others who are possibly ski patrol carrying out their shift. There are no real lanes nor traffic signals and yet everyone manages to fluidly maneuver around and subconsciously help each other achieve the collective goal while achieving their personal ones.
Company Environment and Sales Adaptations of the Collective Goal
The lesson to be learned from collective goals can be applied in two direct ways in the world of business; 1) within the work environment, and 2) within sales interaction. Within a company, leaders must first establish the collective goal among their workforce to foster the collaborative environment organizations need to have to thrive. To do so, leaders should teach employees the "why" behind the company, the aim of its initiatives and very importantly, how each employee/department contributes to make it all happen. With this collective understanding, employees will be able to work towards their own personal and role respective goals while supporting their colleagues to do the same as it all rolls up to the organization's collective goal(s). Also, in a work environment where there are less "lanes and traffic signals" the onus of professional responsibility is put back on the employee. Just like a commuter in the busy streets of Vietnam or a snowboarder going down the mountain, the employee will be forced to become extremely self aware. The employee will need to understand the extent of his or her capabilities and maneuverability so that they can creatively put them to use as needed to navigate through the day and accomplish their personal and the company's collective goals.
The second area of application is doing actual business with your company and other companies. Think of the relational impact this could have with the organizations your company does and seeks to do business with. Those seeking to do business must first identify the collective goals between the two companies by doing research and asking thoughtful questions to clients and prospects. Revenue generation, successful business ventures, positive partner relationships, these are all areas in which companies can easily align and asking questions will help you identify these more explicitly. A high level example of this would be; Company X makes a sale to Company Y, Company Y uses Company X's product/service to increase sales (Aligned goal of revenue generation for both companies). To get there we need to be cognizant of each company's respective business goals. Achieving sales quota VS spending budget responsibly or getting continuous feedback from client on product/service sold VS receiving new ideas and solutions from a vendor. On an employee level, the sales rep and representative of the other company have the collective goal of making a "good deal" on behalf of their respective organization. Each has the opportunity of being the hero, making the big sale vs bringing back the right solution at a reasonable price. Both are personal but serve to promote obtainment of the collective goal.
As the saying goes, "Teamwork makes the dream work". In the world of understanding collective goals, it could not be more true. With less rigidity and structure in place, collaboration and personal responsibility begin to emerge bringing about the success of personal and collective goals. As a sales professional, one must seek to create the same environment with the prospect as the busy metropolitan streets of Vietnam. Research to obtain knowledge of the target company, ask thoughtful questions to identify collective personal and company goals, communicate and align these goals with the prospect, and be flexible, creative and innovative with your product. With all this, the power of establishing the collective goal will positively change the business landscape and increase the chances of successful sales.
Brandon Reeser, MBA
International Sales Enablement Consultant