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6 Steps to Handle a Crisis Situation in the Sales Team
by Habshan Trading Company (HTC) – Your sales guidance counselor
Conflict situations that arise in working teams are one of the internal factors that not only ruin the organizational climate, but also affect meeting the goals set in the work plan. More than that, the organization can face a "snowball" effect when the conflict occurs between two or more teams pursuing the same targets.
Conflicts arise invariably and are caused by various situations that have more or less to do with professional activity. In fact, we are talking about two categories of conflicts: professional (eg shortcomings of an action plan due to lack of working norms, a labor distribution structure, etc.) and personal (e.g. opinion differences between the team members or their superiors). Often, the two categories of causes evolve combined (e.g. poor performance of the team combined with a state of stress induced with no reason by the manager).
And as invariably they appear, as undoubtedly they generate an unpleasant, tense working climate, which of course will be reflected in the company’s outcomes.
1. Knowing the causes is the first step the team leader has to do to accurately identify the problem and its characteristics.
2. A second step would be dissociation from subjective focus to an objective focus on the issue to be solved. A personal offensive directed against a team member is wrong (may attract others' disapproval), but the logical and arguable dismantling of the various attacks will ensure division of views into the opposing camp and the gaining of allies.
3. Thirdly, the delegation of responsibility for taking stand accordingly to the job description will force each member to reflect on his / her own function in the enterprise. It’s the moment of encouraging and emphasizing the responsibility assumed as per the work contract for those who want to eliminate the conflict and its causes. The allies start to show up.
4. Further, the accumulation of favorable opinions and funneling them towards a common vision, in full agreement with the policy of the enterprise, will send opponents in inferiority. The strategy of "being a peacemaker" can catch them off guard.
5. The moment of lull can be fructified through challenging the team for a brainstorming session to find the best way of solving the issue. The team leader must be able to lead the session to get the desired conclusions.
6. The final step would be when drawing up the conclusions when the team must agree to move on to the implementation of the measures. This will prevent possible returns to the subject and contestation of the decisions taken.
Conflict situations that arise in working teams are one of the internal factors that not only ruin the organizational climate, but also affect meeting the goals set in the work plan. More than that, the organization can face a "snowball" effect when the conflict occurs between two or more teams pursuing the same targets.
Conflicts arise invariably and are caused by various situations that have more or less to do with professional activity. In fact, we are talking about two categories of conflicts: professional (eg shortcomings of an action plan due to lack of working norms, a labor distribution structure, etc.) and personal (e.g. opinion differences between the team members or their superiors). Often, the two categories of causes evolve combined (e.g. poor performance of the team combined with a state of stress induced with no reason by the manager).
And as invariably they appear, as undoubtedly they generate an unpleasant, tense working climate, which of course will be reflected in the company’s outcomes.
1. Knowing the causes is the first step the team leader has to do to accurately identify the problem and its characteristics.
- Preventing a situation of "professional conflicts" can be done primarily by ensuring that a well-defined work plan is in place in line with the management general plan (which refers to the main objectives and long-term actions) and respecting the obligations as they are stipulated in the work contract and job description of each employee. Putting the plan into practice will be a test for the managerial ability of the team leader.
- "Personal conflicts" come from a series of strengths of the human side and not only: differences in information, perception of the same information, values and principles, position conflict, competition, selfishness, fear, mistrust, intolerance.
2. A second step would be dissociation from subjective focus to an objective focus on the issue to be solved. A personal offensive directed against a team member is wrong (may attract others' disapproval), but the logical and arguable dismantling of the various attacks will ensure division of views into the opposing camp and the gaining of allies.
3. Thirdly, the delegation of responsibility for taking stand accordingly to the job description will force each member to reflect on his / her own function in the enterprise. It’s the moment of encouraging and emphasizing the responsibility assumed as per the work contract for those who want to eliminate the conflict and its causes. The allies start to show up.
4. Further, the accumulation of favorable opinions and funneling them towards a common vision, in full agreement with the policy of the enterprise, will send opponents in inferiority. The strategy of "being a peacemaker" can catch them off guard.
5. The moment of lull can be fructified through challenging the team for a brainstorming session to find the best way of solving the issue. The team leader must be able to lead the session to get the desired conclusions.
6. The final step would be when drawing up the conclusions when the team must agree to move on to the implementation of the measures. This will prevent possible returns to the subject and contestation of the decisions taken.
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