Adversity Shows True Character

Simon Jordan is a familiar name to those that follow footie in England.  Now Chairman of Crystal Palace, he made his money upon leaving mobile phone retail innovator The Carphone Warehouse to set up his own mobile phone shop chain, and being so early into the market, eventually sold out to a network provider with his business partner for squillions.

I personally find it hard to agree with all his views (in keeping with most Football Club Chairman naturally!) on both football or life, yet I heard him mention something in an interview today that intrigued me.

To paraphrase, he said ‘when you face adversity is when your true character comes through and you realise whether someone can stand in the trenches with you’.  To my mind, this is something sales managers often forget.

Is the person under the microscope doing the right things?  What extra would you do in the same situation?  Can the person concerned come through?  How can a ‘break’ be created, and could they maximise it?  What would the impact of more support from management be (both on them and others)?

If answers to these lead you down negative paths, only then make the mercy killing.