Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbook for Managers and Executives

CHAPTER 7

Assumptive Coaching and Dangerous Listening

THE PONTIFICATING MANAGER

When I speak to a group of sales managers, one of the first questions I ask is, “When approached by your salespeople with a problem, are you talkers, interrogators, or listeners?”

Most agree they are talkers.

Let me introduce the Pontificating Manager. These managers will readily admit they don’t follow any particular type of management strategy. Instead, they shoot from the hip, making it up as they go along. As a result, they often find themselves in situations that they are unprepared for. Interestingly, The Pontificating Manager thrives on situations like this. They use these opportunities to once again create new approaches on the spot.

Like many of the managers discussed in this book, the Pontificating Manager believes this approach actually works. And quite frankly, it often does, but not for the reasons the manager thinks.

This type of person is often fun to talk with and be around. The Pontificating Manager is the type of manager who can talk to anyone and immediately make people feel comfortable. This character strength becomes a crutch to their leadership style, often blinding them to the need to further systemize their approach. As a matter of fact, the only thing consistent about these managers is their inconsistency.

Pontificating Managers exploit their charming and gregarious personalities. ...