easily be forgotten. This can result not only in lost focus on ultimate
goals, but also misdirection to areas that are detrimental. “It’s
getting more difficult to close deals,” says Merdinger, “and it
becomes tempting to eat ‘road kill.’ You can get the wrong customers
that don’t match your objectives, and it can result in bad
business. Unprofitable revenue growth, at some point, hurts. This
gets back to communicating and managing expectations of results.”
Focusing on results is not necessarily something that is needed
just for a few minutes or hours, but rather something that has to
be practiced throughout the day and week. Tough management
requires a rigorous focus on what matters.