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The Comfort Zone
The Comfort Zone
(Date published: 25 January 2002)
Allan
Mackintosh
Performance AM
"The Comfort Zone". How often have you
heard this expression in pharmaceutical sales? It usually tends to come from
management when discussing a sales representative who perhaps is "coasting" and
could be doing a lot more to enhance their activity and their sales.
It
is also applied to management when role changes and rotations are discussed.
"Give him a new role. That will waken him up and then we will see just how
capable he his!" That was an actual comment from a senior manager.
So,
what is this "comfort zone"? How does it occur? And how can you prevent
it?
The "comfort zone" is a state where a representative or manager is
"comfortable " in their role. They are doing enough to "get by" and there is
little pressure or even interest from management as there is a degree of
performance, albeit only average. Many managers who are in their own "comfort
zone" will not challenge this situation even though they know that the person
concerned could achieve a lot more. The manager's "comfort zone" tells them
that it is perhaps too time consuming or counter productive to upset the "apple
cart" and that letting the status quo remain is the best option. "You can
always get them at the year end appraisal" was one ridiculous comment I heard
from a fellow manager. So here we have an example of a representative and a
manager being in their respective "comfort zones". End result - average
performance and average results at best!
"Comfort Zones" are the result
of two inadequacies:
- Lack of personal motivation and focus
- Lack of good management
Many reps go through the "motions" and are
not motivated to strive for excellence. They do enough to get by. They hit
their call rate but never excel at sales probably because they "detail" as
opposed to sell. In other words they do not work at their selling capability.
Having said that, company policies are such that contact rate appears to be
more important than the quality of selling skills with the result that many
representatives rush about attempting to hit call rates,rather than actually
striving towards sales targets! It must be stressed at this point that not all
representatives are like this and top performers all have a focus on their
sales targets with the result that call rates tend to be hit automatically.
Many managers do not challenge the representative's "comfort zone" due to a
lack of influencing and coaching skill, although the root cause tends to be
more in the fact that the manager's ability to set good "stretching" objectives
is limited in the first place.
So how can a manager prevent the sales
representative or junior manager from slipping into a "comfort-zone"?
- Manage expectations right from the start of the working
relationship. In other words a "contract" should be put in place between the
manager and the subordinate ensuring that both know what exactly is expected of
each.
- Ensure that the representative's or junior manager's
objectives are clear, fully understood and have a degree of "stretch" so that
they have to challenge themselves to work at them. Make them too easy to
achieve and before you know it - they are in the "comfort zone". Make them too
difficult and they disappear, either into the "fear zone" or you lose
them.
- Continually monitor their progress against their
objectives. Not from a distance, as many managers do, but within regular field
visits. Time should be taken out from visiting customers to review the business
plan, the individual's personal objectives, and their development plan. The
role of the manager is to coach and guide their subordinate to greater
performance and success. This cannot be done from behind a computer screen or
from an unnecessary meeting. Make time for people!
The "Comfort Zone" is not a productive
place to be for representative or manager. This zone leads to inaction, and
poor, or at best, average results.
All managers should be attempting to
get, and keep, their reports in the "motivated and productive
zone"
Allan Mackintosh is a Professional Management Coach specialising
in coaching and developing people skills in new and existing managers. He can
be contacted on 00 44 (0)1292 318152 or through
www.performance-am.com
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