Marek has just appointed new dealers and wants to train them to motivate them. Impossible: the construction of the training center is not finished, no course ready… So, I answer him “sorry Marek but it is not possible”.
He insists and brings a beginning of solution: “We are going to use parts of the presentations of the Product Managers and I will do the course with other slides that I have already used. You just have to take care of the logistics.”
We have 2 alternatives: do this course 6 months later with a real course document or do it in 1 month with the mix of presentations available from the Product Managers. I must decide quickly for the salespeople to take their plane tickets now if the training will be in a month.
Method used “decision according to reason”
- Ask the right question: here the question is: "Should we do the training of new Russian dealers in 1 month ?".
- Identify the attractors. For me who has just arrived this challenge would immediately bring results but what would happen in case of failure ? I am in a trial period
- Double decision table to weigh the reasons that will bring out an answer: identify and weigh in the tables below the elements (in bold), which for me - for us - weigh really.
Note: this exercise of discernment is to be carried out when we are calm (neither agitated nor nervous).
Table A: "Should we deliver the training of new Russian dealers in one month?".
| Dis-advantages | Advantages |
| Average quality of training and risk of giving a “bad first image” | Colleague in charge of Russia is satisfied and becomes my ally. I do not cut his motivation, his desire. |
| Substantial work to be provided immediately | Good immediate results by the training center |
| Delay for the development of other sales training programs | Salesmen will be able to sell immediately |
| Logistical problems (no team yet on site to organize transport, catering, hotels, etc.) |
Table B: "Should we not deliver the training of new Russian dealers in one month?".
| Disadvantages | Advantages |
| Lose the initial motivation of the dealers and Marek. A lot of energy would then be needed to re-motivate them after a loss of confidence in them and in me. | More time to prepare the courses |
| Less sales results for Bobcat in the medium and long term | Less stress after a week in my new company |
| Colleagues at Bobcat headquarters were telling me “Marek is a good guy” and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to work with a good guy. | Receive salespeople in a brand new and finished training center |
This double table helps me to understand which arguments are really important for me (in bold). The training happend only one month later !
Marek had such a will and charisma to do the course that the participants were attentive.
The evening sightseeing tour of Prague by historic train was the cherry on the cake. If some participants were not 100% convinced by the quality of the course, they were even though "our ambassadors" thanks to the beauty of the city.
There was a series of successive confirmations by the events:
- Quick and effective organization
- The training was a success
- Side effect we discovered a new teaching method.
Thanks to Bernard Bougon, Verena Hofmann, Julie Wolfova and Jan Grundel for inspiration and cowriting.