L&L with John Benson

Summary

The speaker shares his journey from a corporate career to fractional consulting, focusing on change management in sales. He discusses the Kubler-Ross grief cycle's application to corporate change, emphasizing the importance of managing expectations during the 'honeymoon' phase and navigating the 'valley of dissonance.' Drawing from his experience with Sales QB, he outlines a six-step process for improving sales in SMBs and suggests tactics for fostering change adoption, including transparency, support, and leading by example. The talk concludes with an invitation for further discussion among fractional professionals.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker transitioned from a corporate career to living on a sailboat in Key West and working on Upwork, illustrating a significant life and career change.
• 📚 He authored a couple of books during his time away from the corporate world, showing a shift towards creative endeavors.
• 🔗 In January, he aligned with Sales QB, a fractional collective focusing on small to medium businesses, indicating a return to professional services with a fractional model.
• 👔 With 40 years of experience in sales, the speaker's expertise lies in this area, highlighting his long-term dedication to sales.
• 📈 He discusses applying change management consulting to CSO projects, suggesting the importance of managing change effectively in business transformations.
• 🎓 The Kubler-Ross grief cycle is introduced as a model for understanding individual reactions to change, which has parallels in corporate change management.
• 🏢 Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) is mentioned as a major player in IT services, which acquired a boutique consulting firm to enhance their change management practice.
• 📉 The speaker describes the 'valley of dissonance, despair, or destruction' as a phase in change management projects where resistance and discomfort peak.
• 🛠️ He emphasizes the importance of managing expectations and preparing for challenges during the change process, rather than just focusing on the positive outcomes.
• 👥 The speaker suggests involving employees and stakeholders in the change process, and being vigilant about their reactions to minimize negative impacts.
• 💡 The script concludes with an invitation for further discussion, indicating an openness to sharing experiences and learning from others in the field.

Q & A

What was the speaker's professional background before 2007?

Before 2007, the speaker had a background in corporate fractional SAS, working with companies to implement Enterprise SAS solutions, train their staff, and establish new channels.

What significant life change did the speaker make in 2007?

In 2007, the speaker scheduled a midlife crisis, bought a sailboat, and moved to Key West, where he lived on a sailboat for a decade.

What did the speaker do during his time away from corporate work?

During his time away, the speaker took a few years to become a writer and authored a couple of books.

How did the speaker get involved with Upwork?

The speaker discovered Upwork in 2011 and joined the platform, through which he conducted a significant amount of business with hundreds of clients.

What is Sales QB and how did the speaker align with it?

Sales QB is a fractional collective of individuals specializing in fractional practice at the small to medium business layer. The speaker aligned with Sales QB in January to work on projects involving companies with revenues between 2 million to 15 million.

What is the Kubler Ross grief cycle and how is it related to change management?

The Kubler Ross grief cycle, developed by Elizabeth Kubler Ross in the 1960s, describes the stages of grief people go through after a significant loss. It has been adapted to describe how companies go through a similar cycle when change is induced.

What was Jim Champy's contribution to change management consulting?

Jim Champy, who ran the Index Group and was later acquired by CSC, is known as the father of change management consulting. He pioneered the application of change management theory to corporate America.

How does the speaker describe the honeymoon phase in a change project?

The honeymoon phase in a change project is characterized by excitement and positivity, where everyone is looking forward to the benefits of the change, such as improved business systems or increased revenue.

What is the 'Valley of Dissonance, Despair, or Destruction' in the context of change management?

The 'Valley of Dissonance, Despair, or Destruction' refers to the phase in a change project where the reality of the change starts to set in, causing discomfort, potential project failures, and resistance among team members.

What is the speaker's approach to managing the amplitude of emotions during the change management process?

The speaker aims to manage the amplitude of emotions by tempering excitement during the honeymoon phase and being vigilant for signs of dissonance, despair, or destruction during the valley phase, to minimize the depth of the negative impact.

What are some of the tactical activities the speaker suggests to encourage adoption of a change management cycle?

The speaker suggests acknowledging change, providing context, being transparent, supporting human resources, empathizing, listening, addressing fears, facilitating and exploring acceptance, providing resources, leading by example, involving employees, monitoring progress, and having a feedback loop.

How does the speaker handle resistance to change within a sales team?

The speaker handles resistance by being disciplined and empathetic but also by having the authority to release team members who do not cooperate. In more difficult cases, they may change the compensation plan to encourage performance or 'starve them out' of the company.

What is the speaker's experience with fractional engagements and how does it relate to change management?

The speaker's experience with fractional engagements involves working with small businesses to improve their sales processes. This involves a six-step process that maps into the change management curve, which includes conducting a sales audit, improving lead generation, developing repeatable sales processes, improving CRM systems, enhancing sales management, and coaching and training.

How does the speaker approach managing change in a company that has been traditionally resistant to it?

The speaker approaches managing change by leading with honesty, transparency, and communication. They also emphasize the importance of having a clear end goal and understanding the business's needs for improved performance.

What is the speaker's method for dealing with teams that are resistant to change?

The speaker suggests finding bottom-up pain points that the process improvements will resolve, which can help sell the changes to the team and gain their acceptance and compliance.

How does the speaker handle the emotional aspect of change management?

The speaker uses humor and transparency to handle the emotional aspect of change management. They openly acknowledge the change and its potential discomfort, and they provide context to help team members understand the reasons behind the change.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of executive support in change management?

The speaker believes that executive support is crucial in change management, especially when facing resistance. They suggest leveraging resources at the executive level and finding champions within the organization who can help push the agenda.