Organizational Dynamics ...

Organizational dynamics is one of those very simple yet very complicated terms.  In its simplest of forms it could be summed up as - can't we all just get along?  But as everyone knows "just getting along" is easier said than done. 

As children or parents of children we all know the one kid that can't get along - that is unless it’s our kid.  Or maybe we were "that kid" growing up.  You know the one that specialized in divide and conquer.

Well organizational dynamics in business isn't much different.  But be careful how you handle it as the results may have exponential effects.  Newton's law of motion - "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction' - doesn't apply only to physical objects.  It also applies to the dynamics or personalities as well.

Let me explain.   A few years ago I was managing a sales team not unlike most.  There was a top performer that everyone despised.  This representative broke all the company rules in the name of making the sale. 

I fielded complaints daily from the rest of the team of how they had been wronged.  Their customers were stolen, their prices were undercut, and their leads were poached.  Naturally, with this constant grumbling I saw this representative, despite their top producer status, as detrimental to the team.

Although no form of management seemed to work I was determined to solve the problem without dismissal.  Unfortunately, my sales representative wasn't as committed to resolution and eventually left.

I thought my problems were over but soon found out they were just beginning.

The three representatives below this top producer were all close in sales and as such became a close knit "team" unto themselves.  What I didn't realize it that every competitor needs an opponent and the top producer that had just resigned represented that opponent to these three.

While the camaraderie among the sales team improved, the sales efforts didn't.  They no longer worried about leads and customers and prices.  They lost their common goal of defeating the top producer and as such produced less themselves.

It served as a very interesting lesson for me that having someone around that others didn't like served as motivations that I hadn't considered.

When adding a new sales representative to a team everyone wants to know "how will they all get along".  We'll maybe it is best if they don't!

Good Selling.