Interpret performance data
Maura sets out to interpret the performance data she's seeing—to determine what it's telling her and how she might intervene.
For example, to investigate increasing turnover rates, Maura takes the following steps:
- She looks for trends. For instance, she asks herself whether sales rep departures demonstrate any patterns—such as increasing sharply just after quarterly bonuses are paid.
- She considers historical context. Maura asks the HR department what the turnover rates have been in her group for the several years before she came on board.
- She identifies underlying themes in the reasons behind defections. For example, do most of the sales reps who leave go to work for a particular competitor? Are many of them making career changes? Have they expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the company or her leadership? Has the company announced plans for a merger or acquisition, or plans to discontinue a product line that might mean sales force layoffs?
- She compares her group's turnover to that of other groups. For instance, are other customer-facing groups experiencing similar turnover rates? What about industry averages?