Small and medium-sized companies, as they grow, often encounter individuals or groups that don’t perform as they should. Tasks are poorly done or outright ignored, client complaints arise, sales slow down, proposals become complex, and other issues emerge. A simple diagnosis would be “growing pains.” A more complex diagnosis would be a lack of attitude among certain groups, teams, or individuals. In other words, we tend to focus the root of the problem on people and the tasks they should be doing, but we rarely stop to evaluate if our processes are suitable for this new stage. It has always worked this way, so why should we change now? This is also evident in some multinational corporations, where processes come from another country, with a different culture and unique challenges.
When a person or team begins to underperform, our first question is “What’s wrong with them?” We often notice a drop in enthusiasm, lack of motivation, unforced errors, or a lack of focus on simple tasks. Naturally, we assume these are attitude problems and approach the situation as a personal issue. While these issues do exist, often the root cause is not the people but the process—or rather, the lack of an appropriate process.
Our company likely has processes, whether formal or informal, well-documented or not. But these processes reflect the state of the business at the time they were created, and businesses are dynamic, especially when they are growing. This dynamism is driven not only by growth but also by market factors, competition, and technological advances. It’s likely that these processes no longer reflect the current reality.
An inadequate process leads to a lack of motivation and enthusiasm for tasks, often because well-executed work is not necessarily the work required at that moment. We do things as we always have, but the environment demands something different, and these new demands require us to review processes in areas that are underperforming.
This apparent disorder is logical and very common; it’s not something to be alarmed about. It’s essential to review it carefully and implement changes that align with the current commercial strategy, particularly with the sales plan, which drives the entire company. Put simply, sales drive the rest of the organization, defining all necessary actions to serve customers by adding value within our quality vision.
The good news is that this task is neither impossible nor difficult. With a Commercial Strategy and a Sales Plan, processes and organizations can be adjusted with relative ease. In other documents, we discuss Commercial Consulting and describe the necessary steps.
In summary, it’s not always about people or their attitudes. Often, we need to review the pillars supporting the sales path, revisiting both the organization and the processes that support tasks, identifying areas for improvement, innovation, and internal and market communication. A very current example, which we also discuss, is AI. It’s here to stay, and our clients and suppliers are using it. What are we doing with AI? Shouldn’t we review how it fits into our processes and how we can make the most of it?
If you encounter “attitude” problems within your teams or wish to expand on this or other topics, please contact us. We will be happy to assist.
