About once a quarter, my husband makes the suggestion I should go into sales.
This is mostly based on his interest that I make more money, but it’s also tied to the fact that translating technology offerings into business value is something I do instinctively. And so it’s not a bad idea to want to monetize that better.
The problem with putting me in a sales role, is that I am a bit of a Talent Soup Nazi.
I have a strong need to see customers provide tools to make the lives of employees and managers better. Too often, I find customers planning to implement a painful or cumbersome process without understanding what managers need.
Having dedicated myself to building great tools, I can’t help but have a “no soup for you” reaction when people want to use my tools and don’t plan to actually make things better.
Managers need their talent tools to:
- Better align the talents of their teams to the needs of the business.
- Provide frameworks for critical conversations that bring out the best of their staff.
- Show them how to get their team in the right roles based upon their strengths and passions.
I’ve said it before — software is only a tool — you must first have a strategy or you will not accomplish great things.
Get a great plan. Det a great tool.
Don’t make me take back your soup!
Meg Bear 