Are you proactive?
After speaking with a few key Distributor Reps, such as Larry Alford of Axis Promotions, “Being proactive is a mindset and not a skill. If your goal is to work till the job is done and not have fear of failure – then you will do proactive things”
Sadly, this mindset is NOT common in the distributor - supplier relationship and it takes real drive and professionalism to change it. If this mindset is not changed, all you will be left with are a bunch of ...Order Processors.....which will not yield growth.
How do you change the industry standard from reactive to proactive?
Become a proactive driver yourself and you will attract proactive drivers. Be an order processor and you will attract order processors. This mindset will create a domino effect from Supplier to Distributor to End User. So, do you want to attract those who drive or those who process?
Rick Greene of Halo Lee Wayne, who is definitely a proactive driver, was kind enough to thoroughly answer questions about how, in the Advertising Specialty Industry and in this economy, people react, accept, & avoid being proactive. He explained "Most people are receptive and appreciative toward proactivity if the approach is correct. Approach decision making and forward momentum with good spirits, confidence and an in-control ego and you'll enroll people in your vision and get it done."
When asked, What has stopped you from being proactive? Rick replied, "NOTHING stops me from being proactive. I make fast decisions, move into immediate action and get wheels turning no matter what the objective. Buying a car, bringing a new salesperson on board, resolving a client challenge, planning a vacation, picking my breakfast entree - I quickly weigh options and come to conclusions, spring into action and move onto the next opportunity (or to dessert). It's a mindset and a way of life. It's all about being Bold, Different and Memorable. I'd rather make a WRONG choice and work to course correct than to sit back and do nothing and watch."
As a Supplier or a Distributor, how do you know when you have become a driver?
- Take a good look at your responsibilities. Ask yourself some questions:
- What kinds of tasks do or don't come your way regularly?
- What kinds of tasks come in large groups?
- What kinds of tasks need immediate attention when they arrive?
- Examine critically how you might perform those tasks more efficiently.
- Create a plan, procedure, checklist or routine to accomplish the task.
- Recruit and instruct others to assist with an urgent or large task.
- Gather information you will need to perform a task, or if necessary information comes from a flow of people who bring the tasks, create a script, checklist, or form to capture it consistently.
- Look for steps in the process to eliminate, consolidate, or shorten.
- Try to prevent problems from ever arising. This means tackling possible failings in advance to prevent them from becoming a reality. Get into the habit of taking precautions and developing fall back plans.
- Develop a mindset that looks to solve problems instead of dwelling on them. Here’s how:
- a. Define the problem (what is it exactly?)
- b. Decide what needs to happen to overcome the problem and how you’re going to do that; and
- c. Get on with it!
- Get ahead and stay ahead of less-urgent, day-to-day tasks. Doing so means that they'll be out of the way when rushes come and will not be worrying you unnecessarily. Pay particular attention to preventative maintenance, whether that means checking the fluids in your car, restocking your pantry, or setting aside a bit of money in savings each week. A little effort up front could save you from a larger crisis later.
- Know which tasks are priorities and which can wait. Write out daily lists of tasks and head the list, ‘I will do’ and not ‘to do’. Boldly cross off each item as it is achieved. Keep this list close at hand and let it direct your actions. If it goes too long without crossing anything off, reassess what you are doing to make sure that you do finish the tasks listed on it.
- Eliminate altogether any task that is truly unnecessary. Some things do not need doing, or do not need to be done by you. Do not waste time on them and do not allow a misplaced sense of guilt lead you into thinking that somehow you are responsible for them. If tasks are unnecessary, they will not add to your effort and are thus, a waste of energy. Be ruthless in making this assessment about the value of a task.
- Evaluate your procedures and processes as you use them. What works and what does not? Make notes for improvements, and incorporate those improvements during the next lull. Discard anything that does not work but take care to note when something is in need of tweaking and adjust it accordingly so that it does work.
- Try to anticipate needs. Are rushes seasonal? Are there extra activities associated with certain times of the day, week, month, or quarter? Can you prepare in advance? Look ahead and do not be afraid of the unknown. A small amount of future stability can be self-generated by planning ahead and being ready for those things over which you do have some control.
- Try to anticipate things you will need to know. Can you learn a new skill ahead of time? Can you apply a skill you already have in a new way? Watch the trends around you; keep up-to-date by reading and continuous learning. Proactive people are successful because they are immersed in unfolding history as well as understanding the lessons of the past.
- Look for ways to automate routine tasks. Computers can manipulate data in all sorts of ways. Even having a template or a standard plan of action can save time. If you work in a team context, delegation is also a form of automation, in that knowing the best person to do a task will automatically result in its being done to the best level possible, removing it from the pile of "to-do's". Thus, have in place a system that automatically moves tasks to those best suited to them.
In closing, Rick Greene described, "Some people are afraid of NO. And, strangely enough, others are afraid of YES. It's easy to dwell in the great unwashed fields of mediocrity. It's HARD to risk, to move forward, to do the work, to take responsibility. There is no substitute for success and the only way to achieve success is to be proactive."
WARNING!
The opposite of proactive is reactive. If you find yourself "fighting fires", or reacting to problems only after they crop up, take a good look at what is wrong!
Don't get so caught up in planning that you fail to act (i.e. paralysis by analysis). A plan does not need to be watertight, only indicative and motivating. You can always return to it as time goes on and add more. There is no such thing as perfection and trying to reach this at the commencement of a plan is wasted effort.
It is only possible to anticipate so much, so be ready to react, too, if something unexpected comes up. Flexibility is a key positive trait of a proactive person. Being proactive means anticipating and preparing for all possible outcomes, not controlling your future.
**Thanks Rick & Larry for your insight & expertise!
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