ServiceNow - Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year

Company: ServiceNow, Santa Clara, CA USA
Entry Submitted By: Visualize, Birmingham, MI
Company Description: ServiceNow is making the world of work, work better for people. Our cloud based platform and solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. Our value statement is “Win as a team-Embrace diversity, Create belonging-Enjoy the journey-Deliver customer success-Innovate and execute-Stay hungry and humble.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Technology Industries

Nomination Title: ServiceNow's Sales Manager Readiness Program

ServiceNow is a global leader in cloud computing software. Approximately 60% of ServiceNow’s Front Line Sales Managers have been promoted from the field. Without a consistent “upboarding” process in place many of these promoted managers struggled to adjust. The ripple effect was vast. Challenges ranged from new managers feeling overwhelmed with their transition to leadership to lacking skills to perform successfully in their new role. Thus many reverted to “Superstar Rep behaviors” and the impact on previous peers was significant. Time to productivity and diversity among managers suffered, and there were signs of unwanted attrition and less effective revenue production. There was an obvious need to expose rising leaders to the reality of being leaders and also adequately prepare these newly promoted managers.

Amanda Gold, Director, and her small but mighty team of two, Sara Lanen and Natalie Bering, partnered across many business units to create an immersive 16-week Sales Manager Readiness Program. Intentionally designed to create a safe space for a diverse group of individual contributors to understand the mindset and role function of managers, as well as create a safe place for these individuals to begin to practice and build the skills needed in their next role.

Partnering with Global Talent and HR Business Partners, eligibility criteria was defined. Candidates are invited to participate in this program, via Manager and Executive Nomination sponsorship.

Psychological Safety is a tenant of the program. This critical aspect helps students to consider whether taking a managerial position is the right career direction for them and allows for focus on personal growth goals.

The team recognized early that the most effective way to create a better future at ServiceNow would be to prepare rising leaders before promotion. They focused on creating a wholistic experience-based method of "role readiness upboarding" grounded in three milestones: shifting mindset, demonstrating the functional understanding and developing the behaviors and habits of successful managers. Activities included building a Personal Board of Directors, manager behavior skills assessment, S.M.A.R.T. Goal & 90-Day Success Action Plans, e-learning, live instructor led sessions, shadowing, simulation based “Manager Experience Workshop”, Accountability Partners, avatar coaching, one-on-one & group coaching, knowledge checks, reflections, and feedback.

The program created an ecosystem with multiple levels of natural connection points between in role managers aspiring to second line management, program participants and new hire individual contributor. Each relationship benefiting from learning from each other. This peer-to-peer engagement fostered a habit of sharing knowledge and best practices. Beautifully, individuals who needed to learn skills like coaching had partners that were in need of and excited to receive coaching from proven talent!

Additionally, each participant was assigned Accountability Partners. The small groups greatly expanded points of view.

Gold and team recognized creating this environment where people felt safe enough to be authentic was the only true way for participants to grow. The ecosystem and small groups played a large role in creating that safe space for participants, resulting in more diversity among the next wave of management. Additionally, creating a network for these new leaders when they are promoted, making the “lonely top” less lonely.

Great results from this program continue to manifest for ServiceNow. With a 100% NPS, participants and their managers are reporting significant mindset and behavior shifts. Newly promoted managers are now coaching their reps, rather than simply providing feedback. Better coaching has led to increases in sales productivity and pipeline growth (in few cases >200% growth). Graduates state that time spent in the program, has positioned them better for management and the evidence shows the have better ability to deliver to objectives. Candidate diversity of front line managers has been positively impacted, pipeline health has increased and time to full productivity is decreasing.

Gold’s original vison has blossomed into one of ServiceNow’s most impactful programs.