Are You Riding the Train?

As an HR professional, I have a question for you, “How often do you ride the train?” This was a phrase shared with me recently at a Vendor Fair. From time to time, my employer is called upon to present/display/participate (pick your verb) at events put on by our customers. This task usually falls within the purview of the sales department. Occasionally, I will tag along to one of these events, just to see what is really happening in the sales world and how our organizations is perceived by our customers.

I feel that it is very important that everyone gets out of the office and the entire HR domain to see what it is your organization actually does. If you are in retail, you might spend some time talking with customers out on the sales floor and see how they view your business and how your employees interact with customers – first hand. Perhaps, if you are in medicine you might visit the surgical suites or waiting room to see what’s going on around the place?

So, back in my recent visit into the real world, I was speaking with a sales manager who was sharing with me his view on how sales managers often fail. He explained that they get caught up in the numbers and office politics and stop spending time out in the field with their sales representatives. He said that they begin to lose touch with the “real world.” He then said they don’t spend any time riding the train.

Now, you can use the analogy however you like, but the concept is simple – get out find out what’s going on. Are you riding the train often enough?