Maybe I’m in an internet bubble of my own making but seems like you can’t scroll very far without hitting a post about how important coaching is for sales managers. Which is great, obviously, because I agree 😉
Call me cynical but it feels like there’s a lot of lip service around it, though. Which isn’t so great.
It’s not that I think people don’t genuinely *want* to do it. There’s plenty of good intentions for sure. But what happens when a sales leader says coaching is important, but only celebrates bookings and big logos? When they say you should develop your team but suggest you jump in and take over “just to make sure that critical deal gets done”?
It’s like the “culture eats strategy for breakfast” line.
If you say you want something, but then reward or punish behaviour that contradicts it, people will read between the lines and do what gets them the reward. It’s not usually intentional and tends to creep in organically.
So sales leaders, are you creating a contradiction that’s stopping your managers from doing the coaching? Sales managers, are you speaking up where you’re told one thing but expected to do something else?