Posts by Param Venkat

There is an interview clip of Satya Nadella speaking at Stanford University that stands out not because of what he says about technology or leadership at Microsoft, but because of the story he chooses to tell. He talks about a high school cricket match. Nadella recalls a game where he was bowling poorly. The runs were flowing, nothing seemed to work, and the pressure was building. Sensing the moment slipping away, his captain walked up, took the ball from…

Have you Experienced the Headquarter Syndrome? In the ever-changing landscape of business, miscommunication often arises as companies strive to grow, expand, and adapt. If you find that your field sales teams are not embracing new product or service offerings with the desired enthusiasm, you may be experiencing the Headquarter Syndrome. This phenomenon occurs when decisions are made in isolation at the headquarters, without involving and engaging the teams responsible for executing in the field. The…

A few of my coaching clients who are entrepreneurs across industries have been reaching out to me as they continue to feel insecure and uncertain about the looming recession in 2023. They continue to deliberate if they should quit or continue to reinvent and rebuild. I guess there are many of you going through the same emotional rollercoaster of what's next and how to come back. My advice has been: "reinvent, rebuild, and make a…

The quality of sales talent has been identified as a key indicator of the Organization or the department’s revenue growth and performance. The war of Talent (Mckinsey 2000 and 2015) clearly articulates that 20% of the sales team delivers more than 67% of the revenues which means that there is a huge gap in assessing and hiring the right talent.   Hiring managers seem to not have the necessary competency or tools to assess the…

Who is an Executive Coach?Executive Coach is not a consultant, counselor, therapist or even a mentor. Clients usually bring on a " Consultant" and not a Coach when they need to solve a burning issue and needs solutions, advice or suggestions and is often a reactive engagement after the fact. In the contrary, an Executive Coach is engaged by a client proactively and more often in an ongoing basis for professional development with a focus…

It has been observed that half of the hiring decision end up in Mis-hires (Top grading by Bradford D Smart). This is further supported by the survey results and research done by Aberdeen Group (2013) stating that having the right people in the right roles is critical for the success of the Organizations performance.   Sales hiring managers seems to not have the right competencies to make those decisions and a clear need for coaching…