In our earlier talent optimization post we looked at hiring talent from the perspective of the movie Moneyball; how building a team by using data vs gut feel produced dramatically better results. Hiring, however, is only part of the process.
As history shows, the 2002 Oakland A’s took a controversial approach to assembling a team of low valued players designed to get guys on base and produce runs. Much like what we look for in a sales organization, we want a team that can get appointments and close deals; actions that have far more to do with the behaviors of the individuals than it does their past performance.
Using “people data” is quite different than using traditional resume information. It is not an analysis of sales numbers, consecutive years in the President’s Club or percent to quota. When we use behavioral data, it is for matching the person to the job, finding how they are going to go about their work and if they fit the company culture. We still utilize KPIs and data to measure performance and predict outcomes, but at the end of the day, sales success is a combination of the team’s motivation and how you manage them.
The first half of the movie, manager Art Howe ignores the data and plays the team the way he sees it, the way he’s always managed, versus the way the team has been assembled to work best. Granted, there is fair amount of Hollywood added to the film, but the messaging is clear: simply assembling a team is not enough.
For me the most intriguing part of the story is how the team develops throughout the season. Once they begin analyzing their own performance data and adopting the process in how to maximize their strengths, well you know by now how it ends.
