Advice: "My new sales manager is trying to force yoga on the sales team. I'm here to sell, not change my lifestyle."

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Dear Quota Team,

I work for a small company in a niche space. There are less than twenty of us on our sales team, which covers the entire organization. A few months ago, our CEO brought in a new head of sales. This was somebody he knew through some organizations he is part of, but the guy has no experience in our industry. 

Ever since he started, this new head of sales has been trying to remake the sales organization in his own image. What I mean by that is he wants us to start doing all the things he does: meditating, working out every single day, eating extremely healthy, and constantly reading self-help books. 

When I say that he is prioritizing these things, I’m not kidding. These are the things he is talking about in emails and meetings every day instead of talking about actual sales or our actual job. He is sending links for yoga classes, workout routines, breathing exercises, and discount codes for healthy meal-prep websites. His theory is that if we change ourselves, then our sales success will follow. 

A few of our team members are on board, and some others are kind of rolling their eyes but going along with it for show. Not me. I am absolutely against somebody at work telling me how to live my life. I am there to work and do the best job I can, but what I choose to eat, read, and do with my body is completely up to me, and nobody is going to make me do otherwise. 

What do you think is the best course of action here? Should I just do the bare minimum and focus on work, or should I resign and work somewhere else? The CEO doesn’t seem to have a problem with it so far, but I’m not sure he knows the extent to which this stuff is being forced down our throats. Any help is appreciated. 

Defiant in Washington State 

--

Dear Defiant,

The best course of action is to sit cross-legged and focus on your breath. Let the calm wash over you. Pay attention to the sounds you hear. Then come back to the breath. 

Kidding! 

Your new sales leader sounds like he’s either well-intentioned, or flailing because he doesn’t know what he should be doing. It might be both! 

We agree with you. You’re there to work, not to adhere to somebody else’s conception of how you should be living your life. Staying healthy and grounded is a great thing, but it’s unlikely that it’s in your job description. 

Your best bet if you want to stay at the job is to ignore as much as you can and focus on your work. Chances are, the CEO will eventually see what’s going on and make some adjustments, if the sales leader doesn’t wash out before that happens (also likely). 

But if you don’t think you can handle the sales leader’s woo-woo for at least another few months, then you should start looking for a new job. Because it’ll probably get worse before it gets better. Namaste.   

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