There’s No One Correct Path to Your Destination

On a recent long drive to facilitate a client training, I had both my phone’s GPS and Waze going at the same time. Each had their own set of directions for how I could get to my destination. One wanted me to take PA-611, while the other had me going on PA-263. The entire ride, they each kept providing me with a different set of streets and turns.

However, there was one thing I knew for sure: no matter which set of directions I followed, I was going to end up at the same place.

I thought back to my time as a sales leader at ADP. Initially, I wanted everyone to be “little Lisa Peskins” and tried to recreate my path to success with everyone who reported to me. I quickly learned that you can’t “cookie cutter” sales; not everything works for everyone and in every situation. Everyone has their own motivation level, their own strengths, their own areas of opportunity and their own way of achieving their goals. What worked for me wasn’t necessarily going to work for someone else.

As a sales leader, it’s important to recognize differences not only amongst the individuals you work with but in every company and industry as well. Acknowledging and understanding these differences will help you guide your direct reports to determine the path that’s best for them. Though they might get from point A to point B in a different way, you can rest assured that they’ll ultimately get there.