My Director Is Losing Her Directorship

[sfdavis918]

I don't know the details but I just got an email today from my director that she is losing her directorship next month. This was in a response to an email that I sent her looking for any "new" ideas for getting bookings at shows. She was very nice in the email but said she didn't have any new ideas and then hit me with the losing directorship info.

Some of you may remember that I have had problems with her from the start. She doesn't do any kind of training really and we almost never have meetings. She also doesn't do any kind of newsletter. I have approached her several times about needing more from her to no avail.

I have really mixed feelings about this. I feel really bad for her and it sounds like she is a bit upset about it. On the other hand, I'm not surprised at all. She didn't say specifically why it is happening. I really have a feeling that it is due to her personal sales. I know that between myself and another consultant (who is a director) on her team we more than carry her team sales.

So I will end up in Robin Anderson's first line. So far from the communication that I have with her I really like her. I had some really good months the past few months and she sent me a personal email saying she was impressed. That impressed me! My concern about being directly under her though is that she is in Southern CA (I believe) and I am in Northern CA. Also, her first line is so big I can see still not getting the training/coaching that I really crave. Anyone else in a large first line? How does it work for you?

Quite frankly I am a bit nervous as to where this is going to leave me. I guess I shouldn't worry too much as I'm not getting much now! Oh, I should also mention that the other director in my director's first line does not do meetings either, so no hospitality either.:cry:

 

[kspry]

I'm no help. I wouldn't cry if my director lost her position.

As I've said before, she's an OK gal and I like her fine, she just isn't management material and I have had no training and little help from her. Rarely calls, it's all emails with old news that she's copied from some director loop she's on.

She's let me borrow product, for which I was grateful. She's also taken advantage of me at some cool booths/fairs I discovered in the area.

Sarah, the way I would look at it is, you can't be any worse off. The glass is still half full. If the new director is better, you can only get more pumped up about your business!

 

[ljeffries]

I understand your concerns about your director being so far away---but, have you looked for hospitality in your area?

 

[ZippyKitty]

My director has a large first line (she has the largest team in Canada). But I have no problem talking with her. We email a few times a week and I call her frequently. She answers my questions, well not the technical ones - she sends me to tech support for that . I'm thinking that someone with a large first line probably got that way from supporting her recruits. You'll probably be fine. The phone works fine for support mixed with email. Also your new director sounds promising - remember she sent you a message saying she was impressed with your sales... she obviously pays attention. From what you said - I get warm fuzzies. Good luck,
ZK

 

[cathyskitchen]

My director is probably losing her directorship this month, too - she's in her 3rd month of relinquishment and if her team doesn't have $4000 and she doesn't submit at least $200 in sales by tomorrow, she loses all of her team.I am actually relieved and looking forward to this happening. If it does, then I fall under our ED, who is in Michigan. Yes, that's very far from Philly, but I actually get calls and emails from my ED, something my D hasn't done in a LONG time. Her meetings were never great, and she never really supported her team, so I really don't think it's fair that she gets to keep directorship when she really doesn't do what she's supposed to. So she can recruit - she doesn't train or do anything else for anyone on her team, so IMO, she shouldn't be a director.Anyway, that's my vent, but like I said, I'm excited to be working more with my ED. She has me on a "fast-track" to directorship and is going to help me promote by conference. Others she has worked with have done it in the past, and my D has never done ANYTHING to help my business, so why not, right?Try to look at the positives about the situation and see what happens for the first few months. If she's not as available to you as you had hoped, then ask her to set you up with a hospitality director in your area. If she's a good director, she'll help you in any way she can.I hope things change soon for you. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[kspry]

Yes, that's very far from Philly, but I actually get calls and emails from my ED, something my D hasn't done in a LONG time.

I get forwards from my director, that were originally from my ED, about special training phone calls that have taken place the night/day/week before.

I'd rather get silence, than this notice that my director sat on it and let us all miss it, and is too clueless to know she let us miss it, and is forwarding it anyway....to let us know we missed it.

Or - she forwards it 5 minutes before the call begins because her timer just went off, or something.
I used to get upset, now I just smile.

 

[heat123]

Definitely look into Hospitality or have your new Director do it for you.... I have an out of State Recruiter-Director and a great hospitality Director to turn to for meetings and if I need anything she would give me whatever she could. So it's actually kind of nice to have 2 directors for the price of one so to speak!

 

[Pampered Laura]

Coming from both sides here...
When I was in PC, I had a demanding director that was super nitpicky and would criticize everything her downline was doing (behind everyone's backs, of course). Having someone all up in your face every second is no fun either. LOL.

Now, I'm in a different place. In my current company, I have consultants in 7 states. I feel close to them because I call and/or email (some consultants are easier to reach via email) often. My upline (Tom Marston) also calls my consultants regularly. When I need to slack off on the calls because of life, I will tell him and he picks up the pace for me. My consultants are always being contacted by one of us, we work as a team.

Having said that, I definately understand now how it relates to how your downline consultants treat the Director. I have consultants that call or email me every day to give me updates or just to shoot the breeze and keep me informed of what's up. And then I have consultants who literally do not take my calls or return emails anymore. LOL.

What is that saying... 20% of the people do 80% of the work? I've always heard to spend 80% of your time focusing on that 20%. It's hard to do. I'm kind of a "no man left behind" kind of gal, but I do find myself contacting those who are actually working... more than those who are not. It's hard to CALL each person when your team gets large, especially to call those consultants that are not working. I feel like if they're not working their business, that I'd be bugging them to call. Or maybe they're not working because I don't call? ACK! lol

That said, YOU are working. Your director should be calling you, supporting you, cheering for you and recognizing you!! If not... well... make it a priority to change your situation - pronto - before it brings you down. In your case, promoting to Director may be a great way to break the cycle of bad leadership.

 

[katie0128]

So I will end up in Robin Anderson's first line. So far from the communication that I have with her I really like her. I had some really good months the past few months and she sent me a personal email saying she was impressed. That impressed me! My concern about being directly under her though is that she is in Southern CA (I believe) and I am in Northern CA. Also, her first line is so big I can see still not getting the training/coaching that I really crave. Anyone else in a large first line? How does it work for you?

Quite frankly I am a bit nervous as to where this is going to leave me. I guess I shouldn't worry too much as I'm not getting much now! Oh, I should also mention that the other director in my director's first line does not do meetings either, so no hospitality either.:cry:

First - You don't have to do hospitality within your own upline. I met Aimee at a vendor fair last year and she decided to sign with an old friend from Chicago, but she personally lives in Cincinnati. Aimee has joined my director's cluster as hospitality even though Aimee is nowhere in our cluster's "geneology". If your new D won't help find someone, call HO and ask them to help you find other directors in the area that do meetings.

Second - I would call your new D and tell her what kind of training/coaching/encouragement you want and need. My D doesn't have a huge first line (36 or so), but I know that if I call my NED (first line of 100+) and ask for her personal support - obviously, within reason - she will help keep me on track with my goals. She will also make sure that my D keeps me on track as well. I've learned with this business that there are lots of directors running around that don't help their consultants effectively. But for some, it is not that they DON'T want to help, they just need the consultants to be specific about what we want/need from them. Since I've taken more "ownership" of how my D coaches me, it has made all the difference in the world!

 

[DebbieJ]

To truly lose directorship takes 6 months. After three months of relinquishment, then there are three months of repromotion. So your director has known about this for quite some time. I'm sure if you let Robin know what you need, she will take care of you. She seems like a great Director.

 

[PChefPEI]

I know how you feel about having your director far away. First, my director was about 4-1/2 hours away. Since she has given up her directorship, my new director is about 17 or so hours away!! I am quite lonely here on little ol' PEI, but my director is AWESOME and I work very closely with her by phone and email. She is really helping me to reach my goal of becoming a director so that I can lead the Island!! I am extremely lucky to have a great director like her.

Hang in there. Ask your new director for what you need and hopefully, she will be able to help you out. Hopefully, this is a blessing in disguise for you and you will have better luck with your new director. Don't give up!

If you have trouble getting the training you want, maybe we can help you out somehow. I can't wait to have a team so that I can help my consultants out and see them achieve their dreams!!

 

[PampChefJoy]

Sarah - where are you located? There are directors from Robin Anderson's cluster up here... she used to live in Penryn... I signed up under her the first time I did PC back in 1993. She has a pretty widespread cluster, I think.

There are a bunch of directors around here in Barbara Duke's downline...

 

[RaggedyAunt]

I wish the company would send all consultants an evaluation to do on their immediate director. I understand the concept of how to become a director, but as many of us can contest, not all persons who luck/work/fall into directorship are leadership material. My recruiter promoted after I joined, but then lost her directorship. Our "director" is not at all involved in our businesses. I think I last heard from her in October, and it was because I had a kajillion shows scheduled, and my recruiter informed her of that. (She relocated out of state shortly before I joined the team). I think in the last 12 months I have received 2 newsletters from her, and absolutely no recognition for my sales (averaging about $5000 Oct-Dec), or even acknowledgement. If someone is not providing any leadership at all, I don't believe they "deserve" to reap all the benefits of being director. I don't think it should just be a granted if you meet a certain number criteria.

As for Director involvement, I am a very self-motivated, self-driven person, so I don't want, or need, a lot of interaction or monitoring. I don't want to feel like someone is hovering. I always had a real issue with reporting when my next month's shows were scheduled, etc., and finally voiced that to my recruiter. That's no one's business, except MINE, since it's my business. I know my responsibilities and what needs to be done, so in all aspects of my life, when I know that, I want to be left alone to do what I need to do. That being said, I think all directors need to converse with all their recruits in terms of how involved *they* want their director to be. Once they know what their recruits want, then they should uphold their end. Now granted, I think all recruiters/directors need to be in consistent contact with newbies for their first 90 days, but after that, find out what each person wants and needs. Not every line of approach works for each individual. (That's the teacher in me coming out.)

And, on a side note, did Tom Marston leave the company? (I gleaned that from Laura's post.) I was wondering why he wasn't in the recent catalogs. (I joined Chef Success in November, so I don't know the whole story, but have picked up some bits and pieces as to Laura's leaving.)

So, that's my input. And, as others have said, it can't be any worse than what you have now. Hopefully it will all have a good ending for all involved.

Tammy

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Tammy, we recently had a discussion about this in another thread and I'm with you. The discussion had to do with the added emphasis on recruiting, because some people just aren't recruiters. I'm a trainer by trade, I'd love to do consultant training, but I'm not much of a recruiter. I have an associate who is a great recruiter but not much for training, development and management. Together, we'd make quite a team - but there is no mechanism in place for such a team.

 

[kspry]

I wish the company would send all consultants an evaluation to do on their immediate director.

Oh good grief, please not! Prices could only go up.
This is direct sales, not a corporation with direct reports. Please!

It took me a while to get out of the corporate mindset.

ETA-PC directors have only themselves to account to, their own sales....HO does not provide extra income for the hours spent training new consultants....it took me a while to calm down to this fact, but my director is in it for herself, not me, and she doesn't have the resources of a corporation...and if you recruit a person w/o a personal computer like me, you're on your own... I have to submit their shows.

 

[RaggedyAunt]

Au contraire...they DO get paid, 3% of our sales for directors, 1% for FD. Not to mention the other benefits directors receive (like new products, if they meet fairly low sales guidelines). And, while I'm not completely in "the know", I believe to be a Director they have to sign an agreement which states they will do certain things, such as monthly newsletters and regular meetings, to name just a couple...

I don't mean we should become a big beaurocracy, but I think consultants should be able to give the company feedback on their directors so the company knows who is and is not upholding their end of the bargain. Again, if they're reaping benefits, they should be doing the work, and somewhat competently.

I remember seeing the other thread KG mentioned, but I don't believe I even read it because I was so disgusted with the recruiting requirement. As with anything in life, not everyone is going to see everything the same way. I have things that peeve me, just as everyone else does. I guess that's what makes this ol' world go around...

Tammy

 

[pamperedalf]

Sarah I would suggest my director as hospitality, but I think we are at least an hour away if not more. We are having a meeting At the Fairfield Inn in Ukiah on Sat w/ our Senior Exec Barbara Duke from 9-4

 

[kspry]

I believe to be a Director they have to sign an agreement which states they will do certain things, such as monthly newsletters and regular meetings, to name just a couple...

Very interesting. Thank you, I didn't know that.

 

[kspry]

Again, if they're reaping benefits, they should be doing the work, and somewhat competently.

This bothered me very much when I first signed....I posted here, and some people talked me out of going inactive for a year to get a better director.

 

[ShanaSmith]

Don't worry! I am one of Robin's first line directors. She is great and very suportive. If you let her know what you need, you will get it. She is also very good about doing coaching calls. I have been doing bi weekly calls with her for 2 years. Like was mentioned earlier in the thread, there are a lot of us in Nor Cal. We also have the advantage of having Barbara Duke in our area (about 90 minutes from me, closer to you I think) She has a large downline of directors in Nor Cal, who would be possible for hospitality.

I think you are too far to come to my meetings, but you might be able to go to Maria's in Sac. I used to go there every month, before I promoted.

Robin also comes up here from time to time (Yes, she is in So Cal). She did my October cluster meeting with me. Whenever she is in town everyone is welcome to join the meeting, of course you are normally also, but it is worth the drive.

Plus we will get to see each others names in her newsletters now!

 

[kspry]

And they've made fun of me because I don't like Vista Print....whatever.

Tammy, thanks for your comments.

 

[ShanaSmith]

Just FYI Robin is in Barbara's first line.

 

[pamperedalf]

Shana I'm in Barb's 3rd line and I made her November newsletter for my sales. I was stoked. Oops sorry slight Hijack!

 

[ShanaSmith]

Isn't that the most exciting thing! Good for you! I have made hers once or twice and I actually made Beth Jacobs once. I was shocked! (Beth is a NS and Barb's director). Don't you know I saved those newsletters!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

[sfdavis918]

To truly lose directorship takes 6 months. After three months of relinquishment, then there are three months of repromotion. So your director has known about this for quite some time.

I'm sure if you let Robin know what you need, she will take care of you. She seems like a great Director.

Yeah, when she told me that she didn't earn the directors sample package or anything with SAT I knew it was only a matter of time before she lost it.

 

[sfdavis918]

Sarah - where are you located? There are directors from Robin Anderson's cluster up here... she used to live in Penryn... I signed up under her the first time I did PC back in 1993. She has a pretty widespread cluster, I think.

There are a bunch of directors around here in Barbara Duke's downline...

I'm in Petaluma, about an hour north of San Francisco.

 

[sfdavis918]

Sarah I would suggest my director as hospitality, but I think we are at least an hour away if not more. We are having a meeting At the Fairfield Inn in Ukiah on Sat w/ our Senior Exec Barbara Duke from 9-4

OMG, see I would have love to have gone to that and definitely would have made the trip. I have a 1pm show though, so now it's not possible. Darn!

 

[sfdavis918]

Thanks everyone. I am definitely going to contact Robin and let her know my concerns and see if she has any advice/help. I'm actually very excited about the change and hope that it will only help my business.

 

[janetupnorth]

Sarah - just to add...I'm in an ED's first line. I find it more rewarding. She has run her business for years and isn't wishy-washy on what you get from her month to month. She is also supportive in whatever level you are at. The key to a good relationship with your director is partially to tell her what you need! Our directors are not mind readers and don't have time to follow every detail of our lives. If our lives or opinions change and we expect more or less, we need to tell them what we need for now...and most good directors will respond.Good luck in the change, sounds like it is for the better!

 

[PampChefJoy]

There has to be someone near Petaluma in Barb's cluster. I cannot think of someone off the top of my head, but I know that Barb started off spreading out over in the bay area so there MUST be someone! Good luck!