Change Management And Team Dynamics

Most sales VPs I talk to are frustrated. Their teams hit numbers sporadically. Deals slip. Reps plateau. They feel like they're babysitting adults instead of leading high performers. (Is this you?) Here's what I learned scaling teams to multiple 9 figures while hitting President's Club every single year: → High performance isn't about talent. It's about systems. The same 3 pillar system I used as a frontline leader (and now teach to sales VPs at 8 and 9-figure companies) can transform your team from reactive to proactive. PILLAR 1: Systematic Weekly 1-on-1s Not check ins. Performance drivers. 🔹Have THEM verbalize their numbers 🔹Review specific action items from last week 🔹Set crystal clear next actions (so specific a 2nd grader could understand) 🔹Use a pre-meeting form to drive self-awareness PILLAR 2: Weekly Scoreboards Visibility drives behavior. Period. 🔹Stack rank by your most important KPI 🔹Send every Monday morning 🔹Everyone sees where they stand 🔹Celebrate top performers publicly PILLAR 3: Strategic Call Shadowing This is where transformation happens. 🔹Plan monthly in advance 🔹Require agenda with minimum 3 calls 🔹Coach in real-time, not a week later 🔹Start with what they did well, then max 3 improvements If your AE can't prepare a solid half day for their sales leader, what are they doing when you're not watching? The result of this system: → Reps know exactly where they stand and what to do next → Problems surface early, not at quarter-end → Your team CRAVES feedback because they know it drives results → You hit bigger numbers without needing heroics every quarter Bottom line: Stop managing by hope. Start leading with systems. Your team (and your numbers) will thank you. — Ready to systemize your sales leadership? Book a call to see how we can implement this in your organization: https://lnkd.in/ghh8VCaf

Why Your Sales Team Isn't Hitting Targets and HOW TO FIX IT 📊Today many businesses struggle with declining sales performance, and one of my clients - a mid-sized tech firm, faced this very issue. Despite having a talented team, they consistently missed their sales targets, leading to frustration and dwindling morale. They started sales coaching with me, and here's how we started and turned things around. Conducting Diagnosis: Understanding the Core Issues through a sales audit, and after an initial assessment, it became evident that several factors contributed to the poor performance. These are listed broadly as follows: 🚫Lack of Clear Goals: The sales team didn’t have well-defined, achievable targets. They were chasing numbers without a strategic plan. 🌀Inadequate Training: Despite their talent, the team lacked training in the latest sales techniques and tools. There was also an inefficient sales process at play. 🗯Poor Communication: There was a significant disconnect between the sales team and other departments, leading to missed opportunities and misunderstandings. 📌Low Motivation: Constant failure to meet targets had demoralized the team, impacting their productivity and drive. To address these issues, we implemented a comprehensive coaching and facilitation program focusing on well executed strategies: 🎯 Setting SMART Goals - to give the team clear direction and purpose. Fine tuning the sales process also contributed to efficiency. 💪Enhanced Training - on advanced sales techniques, product knowledge, and customer engagement strategies. 🧲Optimizing the Sales Process - by identify the bottlenecks and making necessary adjustments, we ensure that the process is customer-focused and aligns with their buying journey. 🎎Improving Communication - by establishing regular cross-departmental meetings and open communication channels to ensure everyone was on the same page. 👊Motivation and Incentives - by introducing a reward system to recognize and celebrate achievements, boosting morale and encouraging a healthy competitive spirit. Within three months, there was a complete transformation - the team had a high morale and camaraderie. Soon, they not only met but also exceeded their sales targets, achieving a 30% increase in sales. The clear goals, enhanced skills, and improved communication fostered a collaborative and motivated environment. The client’s sales performance skyrocketed, and the once-struggling team became a powerhouse of productivity and success. ✨✨ Need help identifying and fixing the issues in your sales team? Contact me for expert guidance and tailored solutions! 📌https://lnkd.in/dGGM5vCK #sonniasingh #sonniasinghleadershipcoach #salescoaching #salesoptimization #businessresults #SalesPerformance #SalesTargets #TeamMotivation #SalesTraining #SalesProcess #SalesLeadership

Ever heard this one? “Don’t tell legal—we don’t want them to say no.” If you’re in law, that should terrify you. Because when teams work around legal instead of with us, risk doesn’t go away—it just goes unnoticed until it’s too late. I used to think being a great lawyer meant protecting the company by spotting every single risk. But I quickly realized that if all I did was highlight problems, I’d never be part of the solution. And that’s where the real impact is. So how do we shift legal’s reputation from roadblock to enabler? Speak the language of the business. Legal advice that’s wrapped in complexity or legalese makes teams disengage. Instead of saying, “This violates X regulation,” explain why it matters in business terms. Try, “If we do this, we risk regulatory fines that could slow down our market expansion.” See the difference? It’s about making legal actionable—not just a warning label. If you’re in legal, challenge yourself: Are you giving advice that teams can actually use? If you’re in product, don’t assume legal is there to stop you—engage us early, and let’s build smart together. Want more insights? Check out my latest video where I break this down even further. Let’s turn legal into the Department of How! 🚀 -------- 💥 I’m Olga V. Mack 🔺 Expert in AI & transformative tech for product counseling 🔺 Upskilling human capital for digital transformation 🔺 Leading change management in legal innovation & operations 🔺 Keynote speaker on the intersection of business, law, & tech 🔝 Let’s connect 🔝 Subscribe to Notes to My (Legal) Self newsletter

Will your sales team drown in AI change? According to Gartner, in the past two years, sales organizations have undergone an average of four transformations. Despite Increasing Budgets for Sales Technologies, Training and Development companies see diminishing returns of their investments as many sales teams are feeling overwhelmed, unable to absorb the volume of change required. At the same time , 82% of sales leaders surveyed by Gartner indicate that more and significant change is needed to meet revenue goals in five years. Its clear that more of the same will simply not work and will only further reduce the ability of sales team to focus on their customers and simply sell. Gartner recommends a foundational reset: 1) Simplify Seller Roles: Simplifying seller roles is statistically linked to being a top sales organization. In fact, organizations that report relying on simplifying seller roles to drive productivity are 4.5x more likely to be among that elite group of sales organizations than those that do not. These organizations embrace technology to support roles and reduce burden. 2) Systematic Adaptivity: Organizations that are designed for change are more likely to weather transformations well. Having analytically-defined actions and simplified roles help make organizations more adaptable by simplifying change efforts and allowing for more precise, targeted change initiatives. 3) Action-Centered Insight and Design: The top sales organizations were found to have a data-driven understanding of seller actions that produce their desired commercial results. They also align sellers to specific parts of the sales process, and use data-driven insights to clarify seller priorities. Organizations with that action-centered insight and design are 2.5x more likely to be among the top sales orgs than their peers With AI knocking on the door, further accelerating change, its absolutely key for sales teams to simplify, design for change and use data to prioritize. Source: https://lnkd.in/eHTE4Wyc Monday Tuesday

The Power of Coaching in Sales As a seasoned sales leadership team coach, I've experienced firsthand the transformative power of effective sales coaching. It's not just about imparting knowledge or correcting mistakes; it's about fostering a culture of continuous improvement and empowering my team to reach their full potential. I've seen firsthand how regular training sessions can equip my team with the latest tools and techniques to tackle complex sales challenges. Role-playing exercises provide a safe space to practice real-world scenarios, building confidence and honing skills. Setting clear goals and expectations is crucial for aligning individual efforts with broader team objectives. By tracking progress and providing regular check-ins, I've helped my team stay focused and motivated in a supportive environment where team members can learn from each other and share best practices. Recognizing and celebrating success is essential for boosting morale and reinforcing positive behaviors. By investing time and effort into developing my team, I've reaped the rewards of increased sales, improved customer satisfaction, and a more engaged and motivated workforce. If you're a sales leader looking to elevate your team's performance, I encourage you to prioritize coaching. It's a powerful tool that can drive significant results. Let's connect to discuss how you can implement effective sales coaching strategies in your organization. #salescoaching #salesmanagement #salestips #leadership #teamdevelopment

The Legal Ops Illusion Most legal teams think they need technology. What they actually need is clarity. I've lost count of the number of consultations that start the same way: "We need better technology to solve our problems." 30 minutes later, we've identified the real issue - they don't actually know what problems they're trying to solve. Last month, a GC explained to me their "wish list" of legal tech solutions. Contract management system, e-billing platform, matter management tool, analytics dashboard. Several hundred £ worth of shiny software to fix what they assumed were technology problems. Except they weren't technology problems at all. They were process problems. People problems. Priority problems. No amount of technology fixes unclear workflows, misaligned incentives, or poorly defined objectives. Here's what I've learned after transforming dozens of legal functions - technology amplifies what you already do. If your processes are chaotic, technology makes them chaotically efficient. If your priorities are unclear, technology helps you be unclear faster. If your team doesn't understand their role, technology won't magically create that understanding. The most successful transformations I've led start with three simple questions: What are we trying to achieve? How do we currently achieve it? What's stopping us from achieving it better? Technology comes last, not first. The legal teams that get this right spend months mapping their current state before they spend a penny on new systems. They understand their workflows, identify their bottlenecks, and clarify their objectives. Only then do they select technology that addresses specific, well-defined problems. The result? Solutions that actually solve problems rather than creating new ones. But it requires patience. The discipline to think before you buy. The wisdom to fix fundamentals before adding complexity. Most legal teams want to skip this step. The successful ones never do. What problems are you trying to solve with technology that might actually be solved with clarity?

100% of our AEs at Aligned hit 90%+ of quota last quarter. Here’s how I build a winning sales team: 1. Hiring: I look for coachability more than experience. Static interviews are worthless. Salespeople can sell themselves better than anything, and they all look great on paper. I use interactive stages (mock discos, cold calls, etc). They’re always the most telling. No matter how strong the performance, I always give one area of feedback and ask them to redo it on the spot. If they can’t implement feedback quickly, they won’t thrive here. 2. Onboarding: Fast and focused. Reps are on calls by day 7, not after 30 days of theorizing. They start on smaller accounts, get constant feedback, and are off to the races. We strive to get them on 10 calls in 10 days for a jumpstart. 3. Coaching: Immediate and often. Daily syncs the first 14 days, then weekly 1:1s focused on skills, not just stale pipeline reviews. Feedback is constant and actionable. 4. Collaborative Team Meetings. Not updates. Not monologues. Wins are highlighted and broken down. Losses get the same treatment so others can avoid similar traps. Forecasting isn’t just number-sharing. It’s each person’s detailed, numbers-backed plan to goal. If someone hits a wall, the team jumps in to help. 5. Expectations: Clear. Ambitious. Consistent. And because I hire right, they keep each other more accountable than I ever could. 6. Recognition: Progress is rewarded. Wins are spotlighted. Effort is noticed, but 100 dials without converting to pipeline doesn’t earn applause. Outcomes do. —— None of this is revolutionary. But it’s executed with discipline and care. The right people + the right structure = consistent performance. What’s your non-negotiable when it comes to building high-performing sales teams?

The secret to winning over lawyers (Hint: Don’t try) If you’ve ever tried to introduce a new process, tool, or way of working to a legal team, you know the struggle. Some lawyers are open to change. Others? Let’s just say they’d rather redline an MSA for sport than embrace a new workflow. Here’s what I learned handling Legal Ops at Meta and Coinbase: Trying to force change is a losing game. The trick? Don’t push – let their peers pull. Instead of wasting time convincing the holdouts, build trust with early adopters first. Once they start using a new system and seeing results, the skeptics won’t want to be left behind. How to Make This Work in Legal Ops: ➜ Find your champions Identify the lawyers who are open-minded. They’re your biggest allies. Get them using the new tool or process first, and let them prove it works.  I take the same approach with initiatives from the COO’s office at SpotDraft. ➜ Start small, show wins Don’t roll out massive changes all at once. Start with a specific team or contract type, track improvements (faster turnaround, fewer errors, etc.), and broadcast the success. ➜ Make it a no-brainer Lawyers resist change because they think it’ll slow them down. Make it impossible to ignore the benefits – faster contract cycles, fewer headaches, less back-and-forth. When they see their peers getting through work more efficiently, FOMO kicks in. ➜ Let the business teams speak Sometimes, legal won’t listen to legal. But when sales, procurement, or finance start praising the new system because deals are closing faster? That’s when holdouts start paying attention. ➜ Turn skeptics into advocates Once a previously resistant lawyer starts using the new system and sees results, celebrate their success. Make them the spokesperson for the change. Lawyers trust their own more than an ops person telling them what to do. At the end of the day, lawyers don’t hate change – they just hate being forced into it. Tried this approach before? Let me know what worked (or didn’t)! #LegalOps #Leadership #LegalInnovation #LegalTech

Your Legal Team Is a Goldmine—Are You Using It Right? I recently had dinner with a Fortune 500 CEO. We got to talking about his legal department. He told me, “I only call legal when there’s a fire.” As a former public General Counsel, I gently explained to him that too often, business leaders see their legal teams as roadblocks or cost centers rather than strategic partners. But here’s the truth—your legal department can be one of your biggest competitive advantages if you know how to use it effectively. I’ve seen companies thrive because their executives engaged legal early, strategically, and proactively. And I’ve seen others struggle because they treated legal as a last resort, bringing them in only when deals were on the brink of collapse or risks had already materialized. So, how do you get the most out of your legal team? Here are three key shifts that make all the difference: 1. Involve Legal Early—Not at the Last Minute Imagine you’re negotiating a game-changing deal. The commercial team has been working for months, the terms are almost final… and then legal gets a 48-hour turnaround request. Red flags everywhere. Instead of treating legal like an emergency room, bring them in from the start. When legal has a seat at the table early, they can structure deals for long-term success—not just put out fires at the eleventh hour. 2. See Legal as a Business Enabler, Not a Bottleneck Great in-house lawyers aren’t there to say “no”—they’re there to help you find a smarter way to say “yes.” Want to move fast? Invest time in working with legal to streamline approvals, develop playbooks, and create clear risk guidelines. The more aligned legal is with business priorities, the faster decisions get made. 3. Make Legal Part of Your Strategic Vision Your legal team isn’t just there to mitigate risk; they can help you unlock opportunities. Whether it’s navigating regulatory landscapes, protecting valuable IP, or structuring contracts for maximum flexibility, legal can drive real business value—if you let them. At the end of the day, the most successful companies don’t just “use” legal—they empower legal to think like business leaders. And when that happens, everyone wins. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #InHouseCounsel #Legal #Executives

GCs, your CFOs want you to save costs. The question is: how? 3 months ago, I spoke with a GC at a mid-market fintech. Their legal team had 4 people. Their contract volume was exploding after Series B. Instead of hiring 3 more lawyers, they made two strategic moves: 1. 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗟𝗠 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 ↳Sales reps started generating NDAs and MSAs from pre-approved templates. ↳Legal only stepped in for complex negotiations or high-value deals. 2. 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 ↳Routine redlines flagged with deviations from standard documents. ↳Key terms (deal value, termination, renewals, indemnities) extracted and tracked without manual effort. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: → Sales closed more deals every quarter → Legal bandwidth reallocated to strategic matters → Fewer escalations, faster approvals, lower risk of missing renewals If you want to show your CFO that legal drives value. Show them how much inefficiency is already costing them. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁? #CLM #AI #ContractManagement #InHouseLegal #LegalOps #LegalTech #BusinessEfficiency