Week In Pictures #3: The Gong

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet one of the new teams I will be managing with my new role.  This group is fresh, dynamic and full of passion and energy.  All good traits for an inside sales organization and I'm so excited that they are already performing at an amazing level. 

After just a short dinner conversation, it was abundantly clear that this is a competitive group (perfect!).  Each week there is a sales call where each territory manager is called upon to give an update on sales opportunities and deal closings in their area.  Each week, these territory managers roll through impressive stats.  Then, towards the end of the call, the inside sales team is called upon to ramble off their stats.  While very impressive, it still doesn't have that "wow" factor that some of the larger territory deals proclaim.  In jest, we started brainstorming how they could call more attention to their successes and engage in a little friendly competition with the field sales team.  And thus ... the idea for the gong was born.

We were half kidding but after a while the ideas just wouldn't die.  It grew and grew.  And, the next day ... it still felt like a good idea.  So without hesitation, I ordered my new team a gong.  First order of business.  Keep morale high and promote healthy competition between themselves and their field sales counterparts.  The gong arrived at the office today and the team is already hard at work to put it together for the official unveiling tomorrow on the sales call.

The team is in for a real treat when they get to the inside sales team and they report "Apps ... (gong) ... 10, Activation .... (gong).... 4000." 

Next order of business is to create the gong rules.  Everyone knows you can't have a gong at work without gong rules, otherwise there would just be willy nilly gonging all the time.  And so, the team has been tasked to give themselves rules and only gong when epic things happen. 

While this is somewhat ridiculous, I just plain love it.  It's a symbol of their competitive nature, spirit and drive to achieve.  My job as their manager and leader is to promote this and give them the right outlets to have a little fun and succeed.  So as we attempt to define what exactly is "epic" and is truly worthy of the gong, my parting thought ... respect the gong.