We’ve all read and heard about the great resignation and the various reasons contributing to this trend. Some people close to retirement simply said “I’m done.” Other reasons cited are compensation, flexibility, work life balance, more satisfactory work and the list goes on.
There is a question that keeps popping up for me:
Is this the great resignation or the great denial?
Many people in sales and business aren’t achieving the desired goals associated with the great resignation. One of the reasons is because of low self-awareness and reality testing. Sales professionals aren’t fully aware of their role in creating their future success and happiness. They aren’t in touch with the reality of what it takes to be happy in new roles and positions.
For example, a salesperson resigns because he/she wants more flexibility. They’re tired of a daily, hour-long commute. They move to a sales position that allows remote working and selling.
Makes sense.
HOWEVER, I’m still reading and hearing about stressed out and burned-out salespeople and sales managers. Why? It’s because they haven’t learned how to establish the necessary boundaries needed when working in a remote office environment.
- Sales managers and salespeople schedule back-to-back video calls, giving themselves no time to think or prepare for the next meeting. They are tired out and stressed out. But they eliminated that hour long commute!
- Professional salespeople and sales managers haven’t learned the art of “closing the office door.” They continue to creep into offices after dinner and bedtime stories. Why? They left no time on their calendar during the day to get necessary follow-up done from meetings and appointments. (See the previous point.)
This new flexible, remote sales position doesn’t appear to be providing balance to work and life.
Apply the powerful EQ skill of reality testing. The reality is you and you alone are in charge of your life.
No one is making you schedule back-to-back calls. That’s on you.
You’re the only person that can close the visible or invisible office door.
You are the only one that can exchange your hour-long commute to work with a commute around your neighborhood.
You are in denial if you think flexible, remote working AUTOMATICALLY provides work life balance.
Many people have resigned because they want sales positions that offer more purpose, more passion.
Makes sense.
Who doesn’t want to work at a job, sell a service or work in a culture that they love? Really great salespeople are passionate about the products and services they sell.
HOWEVER, I am still observing sales people that switched jobs and didn’t find purpose and passion. Why? Because they didn’t slow down to:
- Identify the type of work that provides them energy, enjoyment and an income.
- Research various industries and associated products that spark interest and passion.
- Define their core values in order to know what type of sales culture they wanted to work in and contribute to.
Without clarification on the above questions, there’s a good chance that salesperson or sales manager will accept a new, flexible, work from home, increased compensation, added benefits position that doesn’t bring fulfillment.
So here is another opportunity to apply the EQ skill of reality testing.
The reality is job satisfaction and happiness begin with you. Your company isn’t responsible for your happiness. They are responsible for providing an environment where happy people continue to thrive and grow.
Slow down and answer the above questions. You may discover green grass right underneath your feet. It’s up to you to do the hard work of figuring out what you like to do, are qualified to do, OR need to get qualified to do.
You are in denial if you think that simply moving to another job will help you achieve your happiness quota and sales quota.
Is it the great resignation or the great denial? I’ll leave it up to you to ponder and figure out.
Good Selling!
