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“Coaches focus on the routines, while observers focus on the results.”

I recently delivered a keynote presentation for a client whose 2020 year was a record setting best, and 2021 was heading toward being even bigger. I asked the leader what he was looking for in my keynote and he said, “Nathan, I am concerned because the demand is so high for our product and my sales guys are making more sales than ever by just answering the calls, that they will get out of the practice of prospecting and doing the important activities of growing their business.”

He continued, “My fear is: What is going to happen when my guys have to hustle again, and they are out of ‘selling shape’?” Hats off to this leader because he knows that despite the current results, routine is key for their future success. And, because this is actually an issue for all leaders, not just those having great seasons, it is my focus for this article.

Results Matter

Results do matter but the routine is what gets the results, consistently, not just in a fluke season, a crazy economy (good or bad), or a new launch. As leaders and coaches in business, it is very easy to focus on the results instead of the routine, but it is one of the single biggest mistakes we can make. The routine of today will determine the results for the future months and years to come. As leaders our number-one job is to help our people perform the routines they know they need to do, but don’t always do them, want to do them or even perceive a need to do them.

In today’s world this has never been truer. There are businesses that are having the best year in their history during the craziest times of history, crisis and government shutdowns. There are other businesses that are having the worst year for the same reasons. No matter if a team is having their best year or their worst year, what is going to happen when the craziness gets less crazy?

For those making more sales than ever, they are so busy trying to keep up that many of them have stopped doing the key activities they used to do to attract and gain new customers. Because of this they will be out of practice and will struggle to get back in the routine (or quite simply get lazy). This can cause a huge slump in their future sales.

For those not making sales because of this craziness, whether due to a forced shutdown, lack of business or otherwise, they too will get lazy and out of practice for a different reason, but without the current buffer of crazy sales.

Ask yourself one key question: Are the results you are achieving now based on your daily routine or based on the current economic situation?

No matter the results of today, if they are based on factors other than your routine, like many things in life; this too shall pass. The next question for us leaders is what are we going to do about it?

What Are You Going to Do?

In sports, no matter if a team is winning or losing, the coach is practicing with the players every day focusing on the basic skills and drills — they know the routine and practice is how they will win their next game, even if they are on the best winning streak of their career. The focus on the daily routine keeps them disciplined and focused so they can have their desired result on each game day. In business we leaders need to do the same thing.

The owners of the sports teams focus on the results, but they pay the coaches to focus on the routines. In business being a leader of people is the same.

Routines are key activities that we as professionals must perform every day regardless of the current outcome. If the routine is the correct routine, it is important to do no matter the outcome because the results, and the economy, will change.

Get Back to the Basics

As leaders we all have key activities our employees should complete every day as a part of their routine. Yet most likely, based on the remote working environment or current business results, leaders are struggling with how to prioritize their engagement with their employees. Hear this: get engaged daily with a clear focus on their key routines and activities. Don’t allow the outside factors to get in the way of what makes us great leaders and helping our people be their best, no matter what.

Final Thought

There is going to be a reckoning when the smoke of this craziness clears. There are going to be organizations that will surpass others because the competition slacked on the quality of their customer service. There will also be great opportunity for those that stayed focused on the routines because they will be in “sales shape” and prepared to keep the momentum going. Crazy times and changing times are not new for leaders in business and although many of us doing business know things are changing more than ever — what we must do as leaders to coach, lead and win in changing times is no different than any other time. We must lead from the front, focus on our routines and the growth of our employees and serve those that pay us by making the best impact possible!

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].