Life and Career Skills

Good coaches know that creativity is essential for the health and prosperity of their organization. Good coaches also know that their most important job is to nurture creativity in those who report to them.

Always acknowledge the importance and contribution of all sales employees who report to you. All people crave recognition and approval, and it is a coach’s job to ensure that employees receive this. Leaders are responsible for the morale in their organizations.

1. Solicit the opinions of all employees. Include all employees in your meetings, where practical.
2. Take everybody’s suggestions and input seriously. You might be surprised who comes up with the best ideas.
3. Allow for open communication. Do not prohibit discussion of certain topics and do not shoot down ideas that seem silly or inappropriate. Try not to ignore input that may be viewed as negative. Even a bad idea can jolt people into thinking outside the box.

Thinking outside the box requires different attributes that include:

• Willingness to take new perspectives to day-to-day work.Openness to do different things and to do things differently.
• Focusing on the value of finding new ideas and acting on them.Striving to create value in new ways.
• Listening to others.Supporting and respecting others when they come up with new ideas.

Out-of-the box thinking requires openness to new ways of seeing the world and a willingness to explore. Out-of-the box thinkers know that new ideas need nurturing and support. They also know that having an idea is good but acting on it is more important. Results are what count.