Probably Not!! 

As readers of this blog know, the majority of the insights, stories, and key learnings I present for consumption are based on our real-world experiences working with some of the world’s largest and most successful (and unsuccessful) business organizations.

Today, I am sharing an interesting story about how one of the most influential companies on the planet is teaching and supporting its own sales force to do the wrong things without consequence or accountability.

Obviously, the names and specifics have been changed so as not to embarrass anyone (or get us into legal trouble) but what you are about to read actually happened.

I recently read an excellent blog by Arindam Bhattacharya a Senior Partner and Director at the Boston Consulting Group titled “How Digital is Redefining the Meaning of Products.” In his blog, Mr. Bhattacharya presents an interesting hypothesis that a “Product” in 2017 and beyond is no longer something companies manufacture and sell, but rather part of a system of interconnected goods and services. He writes that today, what once was a simple air conditioner that you would use in a home to keep it cool is now an integrated system of hardware and software that monitors rooms, optimizes energy, and provides unpresented data analytics that can be used for marketing and other purposes. This “service” prompts the question an interesting question; what is the company that makes the air conditioner really selling? A piece of equipment or a temperature controlling service?

Every day, millions of business professionals are purposely avoiding having hard conversations with employees and colleagues because it’s uncomfortable, awkward, and there is a fundamental lack of skills to engage in a hard business conversation that should have positive outcomes.