Create a Winning Sales Culture Built on High Expectations for Performance
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal 
excellence. – Confucius
This discussion will cover teams with consistent peak performance, operating within a culture built on high expectations. Furthermore, we will review the requisite execution on some of the key factors for consistently exceeding goals. Using a proven process, we help leaders build an environment that sets the expectation for excellence and peak performance to be “business as usual.”
I had the privilege of being a part of such an environment in business, and when I played football. In this article, I will elaborate on the football experience, though there are many parallels to what I have helped build and experienced in business.
Let’s examine the football experience briefly for the winning culture attributes. Now, here’s where I date myself, but this is nonetheless a fact-based story:
In 1969 at the University of Missouri, we won nine games and lost two. Furthermore, this team has been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. We were co-champions of our conference and played in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, January 1970. And finally, please note that many consider this to be one of the best teams in Mizzou football history.
Question: So what does business performance have to do with football, Adam?
Answer: It is the environment/culture and intangibles/characteristics of this team that I believe warrant a closer look as to the application to business. So, let’s do a high-level examination of these:
- Coaching and development, both energetic and capable – We had coaches who were highly trained in the development of crucial skills in the players. And, our players had great relationships with the coaches, though they worked us hard, on a consistent schedule, and demanded excellence. The coaches knew each player’s unique strengths, and weaknesses and genuinely sought to optimize those capabilities. They wanted each of us to be the best we could be and, as a result, set very high standards for our performance in practice. Suffice it to say that we were extremely very well prepared; I never played in a game that was anywhere near being as hard as practice.
- Team orientation/singleness of purpose and strong peer relationships: As far as my teammates were concerned, we were just like family. I cared about each person and would do anything for any of them, just as they would for me. When I played, it was not so much for myself, but rather, I did not want to let them down. Our team identity was essential and was accountable to one another for contributions to the winning effort.
- High expectations for achievement; confidence based on talent, preparation, and ability to execute – For any given game, we always felt that we were just supposed to win. That may sound cocky, but confidence in one’s abilities is paramount to success in any endeavor. Our preparation was top notch; we had an excellent talent in every position, and thus, as a team, we could beat anyone in the nation. It’s pretty special when a team comes together with that special kind of collective mindset. It’s poise and mental tenacity based upon individual and collective ability. Furthermore, it’s a will forged from hard work and rigorous preparation, grounded in a strategy based on disciplined execution on proven winning processes, skills, and techniques.
The previously described environment is the kind of culture businesses should aspire to create.
In business and football, winning cultures possess key attributes which are critical to their success. A few of those are covered in this article; but more importantly, A Vital Business Growth Solutions has a proven process to help you put these and other reliable growth strategies in place for your respective team.
If you’re interested in a free assessment for your business, you may schedule a 30-minute consultation at this link: https://calendly.com/adam-vital/consultative-meeting. And, when you employ our services, we don’t get paid unless you see results!
