Have you ever been given a skill or tip or a certain something designed to make your job easier, faster or more productive and efficient? We all have gone to some kind of workshop to enhance a skill set. Maybe it was a speech, class or training session. We were given some ‘magical nugget’ of information. Have you ever tried the information out and failed miserably? What did you think of the information at that specific point? I would be willing to guess you felt the information or skill “just doesn’t work”.
Part ten…the last one in our series. Do the steps “work”? Wait for it…it depends. If life is unscripted and you never know what you are going to get, then this reality suggests in one situation, the steps will probably work. And in other situations, they won’t or you will have to adapt the step or steps to fit the context you are given, right? Are you at a minimum willing to try them and potentially change them to make them your own to fit your personality?
This step is the cement in the art of selling. It is what brings all the steps together. To be fair, it is the cement in everything in your job (see a previous post on management). And by the way, it must exist in order to move forward. To not have this when embracing any kind of growth or change…well, it, your desired result, becomes very, very hard to achieve.
Willingness. Plain and simple. Are you willing to assess your skills? Are you willing to accept your outcome or that your abilities may be less than positive? Are you willing to listen to another voice and allow for another’s evaluation? Are you willing to try something different more than once? Are you willing?
This mindset applies to virtually anything in your life requiring an awareness or understanding of a behavior and then…
- Changing it into a different behavior or way of life.
- Embracing a responsibility for another person or thing.
- Listening to and accepting another point of view.
- Exploring options and possibilities.
- Being OK with good, average, bad and your control (or lack thereof).
So what to do?
Look at your current process of decision making. We are loaded with biases or frames of reference that shape our decision making. Recent brain decoding suggests that we use specific memories to shape our choices*. Now layer in research findings that also suggest we frame our choices around risk versus reward and our ability to have cognitive control despite distractions**. This information suggests that in specific situations our past experiences and the valuation and control centers in our brain influence motivation and willingness when making choices. How do you make decisions? Consider how much willingness plays a part.
What about your consistency? What has been your Modus Operandi (a.k.a. M.O.)? This Latin phrase translates as “method of operation” or habits. Willingness can or cannot occur based on what you do or have done typically. If you are used to a certain way of doing things, the first obstacle may be breaking a habit. And here is a tough one; what if you decide to change a habit, a behavior, and it doesn’t go “right”? What do you do then? Will your consistency get in the way or give way to a new consistency…a new normal?
Your definition of Openness. This the amount of time you allow yourself to listen to someone or something else before rendering judgment. “Are you open?” is another way of asking “are you willing?” Another could be “are you honest (with yourself) about the current scene and what may need to change or evolve?” This ultimately is about surrendering yourself to someone or something else. This can be a huge hurdle.
All three of these go together. They are all linked. Just like the steps in the art of selling. Just like the fact these steps merge into and amplify the science of selling. I know many organizations who take the easy road. The less complicated road of training the science. Everyone understands the science. It’s all about steps and is a logical sequence. It’s the process side of the equation. The art is harder to pin down because of personality and motivation. It therefore becomes infinitely harder to measure, coach and improve. It’s the people side of the equation. People do not come with scripts.
What if…what if you gave your team a broader look at the science by encouraging an exploration into the art? Let them decide how it works for them. Motivation is behaviors that people choose for themselves. They decide. The best you can do is stimulate and influence their motivation. So what if?
Are you willing?
Cheers
*Michael Mack, University of Texas at Austin
**Jan Glascher, California Institute of Technology & Ralph Adolphs, Caltech (30 years of research compiled from University of Iowa)