Management: Hire to inspire

A. The very best managers and coaches get their teams to believe in themselves. Great managers inspire their teams to do more than they think they can. All good teachers do this. Along with the corresponding skills, they instill a level of confidence and help build self-esteem rather than undermine it.

• Truly effective managers and coaches do not embarrass or humiliate as a means of teaching. When they do, it's actually a reflection of their failure as a manager and not the salesperson. More often than not, embarrassment and humiliation lead to performance problems.

• The best managers and coaches keep everything in perspective—they don't get too high or too low because of one referral source or transaction. They understand that it's doing the right things everyday to the best of their ability that lead to great results.

• Great managers and coaches understand that each member of their team is different. Their ability to learn, process, and implement new skills will be different. And just as important, each member of their team will be motivated by a variety of motives. A great manager or coach will take the time to get to know each employee's unique qualities then tailor messaging to achieve maximum effectiveness.

• Great coaches understand that modeling is the most powerful tool they can use on a daily basis to instill the skills and habits necessary to be successful.

These are just some of the qualities you should be looking for when hiring for management roles. I recommend a personality and cognitive skills assessment for every employee to help ensure your hire has the qualities you desire for their specific role. There is nothing more expensive than a poor hire.

Mike Strange is vice president, Emerge Sales. Reach him at mike.strange@emergesales.com.