The Pitch
To effectively manage time and empower your team, sales managers can use the 'Leaf-Branch-Trunk-Root' decision-making model:
- Leaf - You Do It: These are decisions or actions that the sales reps can handle on their own. They are low-risk and generally won't have a significant impact if they go wrong. Encouraging reps to handle 'leaf' decisions fosters independence and confidence.
- Branch - You Do It, Tell Me: Here, reps still make the decision or take the action, but they need to inform the manager. This level involves slightly higher stakes but still allows for autonomy while keeping the manager in the loop.
- Trunk - We Will Do It Together: Decisions at this level are more critical and require collaboration between the rep and the manager. These are significant but not fundamental to the team's success.
- Root - I'll Do It: These are high-impact decisions that could affect the team's foundation. They are typically handled by the manager or higher leadership.
So What?
Implementing this model can help in clearly defining which decisions fall under the rep's purview and which require managerial input. It helps in balancing empowerment with oversight, ensuring that the team functions effectively while allowing the manager to focus on higher-level tasks.
Next Steps
✅ Introduce the 'Leaf-Branch-Trunk-Root' model to your team.
✅ Define the types of decisions or actions that fall under each category.
✅ Encourage reps to take ownership of 'leaf' and 'branch' level decisions.
✅ Collaborate on 'trunk' level decisions and take charge of 'root' level ones.
Closed Won!
Empowering your team to make decisions can free up your time as a sales manager and enhance the team's overall effectiveness. How do you manage decision-making in your team? Share your strategies and experiences on empowering your team while maintaining necessary oversight.
