Phil Mydlach

I had an interesting conversation on a recent flight. It concerned the annual review of an under-performing employee.

I recently started working with a client to increase the effectiveness of its sales force. The main problem was that most team members were coasting and in maintenance mode. They weren't working hard enough to add clients and grow sales.

I appreciate that there are many capable, well-intentioned people who work on both sides of the aisle in our political system and I mean them no disrespect. However, I think most people would agree that if our political system is not broken, it is at least in a state of serious disrepair. As a result, it's a great model for how not to lead.

R.W. Baird recently stated, "The U.S. M&A market again registered impressive numbers in June. The deal total increased 47.1 percent to 1,025, the second largest monthly figure in the last two years. Announced dollar volume (+93.2 percent) nearly doubled in comparison to the low year-ago value."

After leaving a client meeting the other day, I reflected on a manager's comment about not understanding the value behind tightening up their management processes, improving communications and making performance visible (both good and bad).

Many businesses are leaner than ever, yet highly effective management is required to compete in today's world. It is imperative that effective management and management practices are consistent throughout your organization.

In-fighting. Stonewalling. Grandstanding. We are all painfully aware of these problems in our political system. As outsiders looking in, we can see how subversive behaviors like these impede progress and keep the nation's work from getting done.

It's tough to be in sales right now. Budgets are tight. Competition is stiff. While the economy is showing signs of improvement, companies are still wary about spending money. Now more than ever, you need a competitive edge to be a top sales performer. What's yours?