Don't Be That Boss: How Great Communicators Get the Most Out of Their Employees and Their Careers

Chapter 2. 8:00 am Sales Rundown: Reality Behind the Numbers

8:01: Chad Admires His Handiwork

Chad glows every Monday morning as he sits in Conference Room A, studying the format and layout of the sales report for his division. He's proud of his creation. This homegrown report displays a brilliant snapshot of his sales team's performance. And that's not just his opinion. Other division bosses and senior management at the company have praised the way Chad cobbled together this succinct, powerful combination of spreadsheets and graphics.

This morning, he beams again at his baby. This reporting mechanism was originally a duty for his sales manager, Jody. She put together a functional set of spreadsheets after Mike made the request, well within the deadline they agreed upon. But it was a very vanilla way to track sales progress. It took Chad and his team 20 to 30 minutes of rigorous discussion in these Monday sales meetings to figure out where everything stood.

Chad isn't disappointed in Jody for creating such a pedestrian reporting mechanism. Spreadsheet manipulation is not a part of her job description, and it isn't in her core competency. Jody's strength is her insight into the sales process, and Chad depends on her judgment. Though Chad has a severe weakness in his leadership communication skills, no one complains that he's unfair. He's not one to force unrealistic expectations upon his employees.

There was no reason to chide Jody for her report. Still, he felt his division and his ...