ChannelVision Sept-Oct 2017

channel management go beyond the basic requirements of the job you hired them for. Some employees may argue that money is the only motiva- tion they require, but I could not disagree more: paychecks are not within the con- trol of the individual. The first time orga- nizational cutbacks cause bonuses to be eliminated, motivation tends to go down the drain. Without motivation, interest and purpose, that individual will probably expedite their next job search. A purpose driven, motivated employee is more likely to stick with you when times are tough because they feel responsible for the suc- cess or failure of the project/organization. After motivation comes attitude. At- titude is probably the most important factor in creating an atmosphere of teamwork, and is not possible without the other layers. A person with a bad attitude will generally be a bad influence on his or her peers, causing daily dis- cussions to center around the negative elements of the organization rather than the difference-making positives. Building a department of people with positive at- titudes leads to people working together to reach common goals. Professionals with positive attitudes at times can do more than their counterparts who are better skilled but have poor attitudes. Now it all starts to come together. If these foundational layers are all in place, it will lead to one of the most important factors in a productive employee: Rela- tionships. People cannot have produc- tive relationships if they have a bad attitude. Going one step further, multiple people with bad attitudes can multiply like growing cancer cells and ruin the culture of your entire team. Good rela- tionships require a good attitude. Much of my experience has been in channel sales, and the best channel man- agers I’ve been around are motivated pro- fessionals with a good attitude. They work hard for their partners, helping to make money for both the partners and the orga- nization. This leads to great relationships, and a personal brand of success that will outlast any line item on a resume. Finally, at the peak of the pyramid are skills. Skills are the only part of the success pyramid that are teachable. They are the only part of the pyramid that aren’t in the direct control of the indi- vidual. My philosophy, which has worked for me more times than not in my career, is that if I can find an employee that has all of the layers of the pyramid covered, I can teach them the skills necessary to do the job I’m asking them to do. They will be interested in learning the skills, they will be motivated to seek as much information as possible, they will embody the attitude that generates good internal and external relationships, and they will be loyal to me and my organization because I taught them something that positively impacted their life. In summary, finding great employees starts with finding people that have purpose in their lives. If you found this article to be helpful, please share it with other leaders in your field. o Bruce Wirt has 15 years in channel sales leadership and is currently the channel chief at Telesystem, which includes the LSI organization as well. Connect with him on LinkedIN to share your success stories. September - October, 2017 | Channel Vision 67

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