The company had grown to $7 million and the Co-Founders realized that the old methods weren’t going to get them to $12 million. So, this individual was tasked with the responsibility of building a sales function that could achieve higher growth goals. When I asked about the approach to this important work, he told me that he was searching for ideas on Google and YouTube. He was taking his favorite ones and introducing them to the team with his spin on them.
You can’t make this up—it’s the textbook definition of a quick fix. Some leaders just can’t quit ‘easy.’ What’s the likelihood that a steady diet of Google and YouTube content is going to help this company reach its growth goals? That’s a gimme, so how about this angle—how much harm is this method doing to the existing team (the one bringing in the $7 mil), when what they need is a clear, cogent go-forward plan to get from here to there.
Bottom line: Quick fixes may be alluring, but they come with certain consequences.
