Why Incentivizing People with a Revenue Goal is Like Rolling the Dice
As a business consultant, I’ve seen my fair share of companies attempt to use metrics
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I once had a client that experienced some interesting challenges with aligning two key people to a common goal.
MIKE’S DILEMMA
At ABC Auto Repair Co. (name changed for privacy), Mike headed up operations across six bustling locations in the Midwest. He was dedicated to ensuring each shop adhered to rigorous quality standards and ran like a well-oiled machine. Mike’s commitment to efficiency and profit was unwavering—every process was reviewed and refined to maintain a standard that aimed to bring customers back. But even the most finely tuned system can experience friction. And for Mike, that friction often took the form of his enthusiastic peer, Felicia.
FELICIA’S ENTHUSIASM
Felicia was in charge of Sales and Marketing at ABC Auto Repair Co. She was not only creative but was also fiercely passionate about expanding their services and reach. Felicia’s mind constantly buzzed with new ideas, and she was often popping into Mike’s office with suggestions on how to operate the shops in ways that supported her marketing goals. From new promotions to rebranding service packages, Felicia had a steady stream of fresh concepts she was eager to implement. But every time Mike frowned or questioned one of her ideas, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “Why doesn’t he get it?” she thought. “If we’re going to grow, we need to try new things!”
On the other hand, Mike wondered, “Why can’t Felicia sell more of what we already offer?” He believed that keeping operations efficient was the only way to maintain the quality their customers expected. If he implemented every one of her ideas, it could create chaos in their finely-tuned workflow and lead to mistakes that would impact customers’ trust.
It was like they were hunting for the same treasure, but couldn’t agree on which map to use.
THE CROSSROADS- A COMPARISON OF INSTINCTS
Things came to a head during one of their team meetings, and the disconnect between Mike and Felicia’s approach became too big to ignore. That’s when they decided to take the Kolbe A Index®, followed by the Kolbe A to A Report®, which offers a side-by-side comparison of their instincts. This report showed them something invaluable: their instincts—what Kolbe calls “conative strengths”—were simply different. Mike’s instinct for problem-solving came from maintaining and following existing processes, which kept things streamlined and stable. Felicia’s instinct, however, was to solve problems by introducing fresh ideas and exploring new possibilities.
INSTINCTS LEAVE CLUES
As they began discussing these results with their team, an insight from the Profit Plus People Playbook™ emerged: instincts leave clues. Both Mike and Felicia were simply following the way they were naturally wired to operate. Rather than seeing their approaches as right or wrong, they recognized the power in each other’s strengths. They began working together to balance stability with innovation, and both felt a weight lift as they became more open to each other’s perspectives.
In fact, this realization had such a profound effect on their working relationship that they invited us to conduct a half-day retreat for the entire ABC team. Everyone took the Kolbe A Index, which provided a new understanding of each team member’s unique strengths. For the first time, they truly understood how their different approaches to taking action could be harmonized into a cohesive, high-performing team.
IT CAN TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM TOO
At Profit Plus Business Advisors, we are certified consultants of the Kolbe Index®, and we’ve seen how impactful it can be for teams to recognize and respect their natural modes of action. If you’re ready to explore how these insights can transform your team, visit https://www.profitplus.co/get-started/
Jocelyn Wallace is a Fractional COO for hire, and founder of Profit Plus Business Advisors, an advisory firm that helps business owners maximize profitability and valuation.
If you are ready for a financial and operational health assessment for your business, please set up a call to learn more.
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