Action Plan
Becoming an expert begins with deciding whom you will acquire knowledge from and how. Here is an excerpt from a step-by-step plan drawn up by Melissa, a high-potential sales rep in the beverage industry who aspires to become her firm’s in-house whiz at distribution. Her chosen mentor is George, a general manager at her company who is the “go-to” guy in that area.
OBSERVATION
Immediate Goal (2 Months) Learn how to evaluate distributors by studying retail stores they service.
To-Do Visit five stores with George, and record what he notices.
PRACTICE
Short-term Goal (6 Months) Learn how to evaluate our firm’s performance from the distributors’ point of view.
To-Do Interview three distributors in region, asking about three things we do better and three things we do worse than…
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Harvard Business Review Special Issues (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2025